Sweet Cantata
by ScarletDevil1503
Summary: After leaving Forks with Bella and Nessie, the Cullens move to the city of Irondale, population 15,000. Jasper is finally content with the way things are; life is predictable and easy once again. However, the moment he sees her, an eternally sweet cantata will begin that will change the very meaning of his existence. Post-Breaking Dawn, La Tua Cantante story. Eventual Jasper/OC.
1. Chapter 1: Day One

**Hello there! Here's a _La Tua Cantante_ story for you.**

**Please note that this is set a few years after Bella's change, and the Cullen's have moved on to a new town. Jacob came along to be with Nessie, but he doesn't go to school with everyone ('cuz that be weird for everyone). Dear Ness is still a toddler, but appears middle school age. Emmett and Rose are seniors, Alice and Jasper are juniors, leaving Edward and Bella as sophomores.**

**One more thing: though this is in 3rd person point-of-view, the *J* and *E* indicate the perspective (*Jasper, *Eva). Also, sorry that this first chapter is so long. As the chapter titles imply, I want each chapter to be one day.**

**Oops... un-beta-ed. "T" for suggestive themes and language.  
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**Enjoy!**

**-Scarlet**

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><p>Disclaimer: I do not own <em>Twilight<em>. This is a work of fanfiction.**  
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><p><strong><span>Sweet Cantata<span>**

_It all happened in 30 days…_

**Day One: Thursday**

*J*

Jasper Whitlock was quite content.

As content as a animal-hunting vampire could be when surrounded by its natural food source, that is.

His golden eyes lingered on the juvenile students in the hall as they rushed past to get to their classes on time. The blood-pumping hearts beat relentlessly around him... some varying in speed or consistency... but there, nevertheless. He inhaled deeply through his nose, testing himself. All seemed to be under control, he determined. Alice had been trusting him to be alone more and more. Like now, when she was staying at home "out sick" from school, while Jasper was waiting outside the classroom for Algebra II.

His eyes stopped when he saw a girl trip over her own feet, her books flying in random directions. She straightened the glasses perched on her small nose, and groveled around, gathering her strewn belongings. Most of her peers walked by without noticing, some of them scoffed or laughed, but none stopped to help her.

It was a pitiful display of human impertinence.

This made Jasper fortunate that Bella had lost most of her clumsiness in the change. When she had been human, she also had had the unique talent of tripping over flat surfaces.

The third hour bell interrupted his thoughts. Shaking his head slightly, he pushed off the locker he was leaning on, and made his way for room 18A. He was the first one there, besides a girl up front who was speaking with the teacher.

"But Mr. Collins, I –"

"Miss Forest, I must insist that you take a seat."

"Listen, you don't know what this grade means to me! Please, I'm –"

"Miss Forest, there is no belt curve in my class. There is no extra credit. Either you flunk, or you fly."

The girl gawked in insult and turned away, marching to the back corner of the class and slamming her books on the desk there. Jasper entered quietly and approached the front. Alice had missed her class yesterday, and had asked him to get the homework for her.

"Excuse me –"

"Yes?" The flustered teacher turned his bloodshot eyes to the student disturbing him and squinted. Roger Collins was not the young man he used to be, and whinny students were going to be the death of him in his old age. This "Jasper Cullen" had come in mid-year with no transcripts whatsoever, and had mouthed off in class more than once. (As, Mr. Collins' definition of "mouthing off" was correcting his flawed teaching during class.)

Jasper chose his words carefully, honey coating each one. "Mr. Collins, my sister Alice Cullen missed her fourth period yesterday, and she'll be missing today, as well. She asked me to get her homework for her. If you don't mind giving her some back work, that is."

"Ah, yes." Mr. Collins smiled at the term "back work" and pulled yesterday's homework from his desk. He scribbled down an extra assignment for Miss Cullen, who had been slacking since she transferred, and handed the paper to Jasper.

Jasper took it with a charming smile, and a very Southern, "Thank you, sir." By the time he turned around, two thirds of the class had already arrived. There were about seven free seats towards the back. Jasper honed in on the farthest one from the front, and was just about to put his books down when –

"Hey, Jazz!"

Jasper cringed when he heard the voice. His brother, Emmett – posing as a senior in high school – was "behind" a year in math, and had "happened" to be in Jasper's same class. Emmett had always had the aptitude to embarrass him in public somehow. Point and case – cutting in front of him to take his seat in Algebra II.

"Bye, Emmett," he said in monotone, turning to find another desk. Of course, all other seats were taken besides the one next to the crybaby girl. With a mental sigh, Jasper slugged over to the free desk and sat awkwardly, slipping his books underneath.

"They should make these bigger, hu?"

Gritting his teeth, Jasper nodded stiffly to the girl.

"Actually, they shouldn't make them at all. This class is _retarded_."

A foolish human. "Then why did you _take_ it?" he snapped, instantly regretting it. He had not meant to speak at all.

Just then, the girl unbuttoned her sweater and took it off. This sent a wave of spicy mint in his direction. For the past several years that Jasper had been practicing the "vegetarian" lifestyle, he had been refining his sense of smell. He was only just becoming sensitive to the unique scents of the humans around him, and most the time didn't really notice a difference between them. However, as venom pooled on the back of his tongue, Jasper confirmed that this girl's scent was definitely peppermint and spice.

The girl's eyes flashed at his words, and she suddenly decided then and there that Jasper was, indeed, an asshole. "It's none of your business!" the girl shot off, crossing her arms.

For the next hour, Jasper tried his hardest to ignore the girl. She was a failure at Algebra, and was an overall annoying person. Halfway through class (while Mr. Collins was writing a _l o n g_ third root equation on the board), a crumpled up piece of paper hit the side of his head. Shooting a glare to his adopted sibling, he flicked it off his desk. Seconds later, another ball of paper hit his forehead. Sighing, he resigned to pretend to read it, as Emmett would surely never stop otherwise. Unfolding it discreetly, he scanned the scribbled writing:

_That girl's hot hu?_

Rolling his eyes, he shoved the scrap of paper into his binder, and sent a warning look to Emmett, who grinned mischievously. The minty girl was indeed hot, but nothing as Jasper would prefer. She had girlishly pouty lips, a sharp chin, an unusually pointy nose, nicely arched dark eyebrows, and big hazel eyes with the kind of eyelashes that make large eyes appear even larger. Her dark, strawberry blond hair was cut in several different lengths, the longest only coming to her chin.

He noticed absently that there was a dark rim of blue around her hazel orbs, and small flecks of amber spiked around her pupils. They held the appearance of an eclipsed sun. With a certain amount of amusement, he also noted that the girl had a light scatter of freckles across her nose and cheeks.

She looked half-starved, with her sunken cheeks and cut chin, in his expert opinion. Her tight pink shirt, loose brown sweater, and holey jeans only amplified this. She had red around her eyes, and slight grey just beneath them. She looked half-dead as well. The longer he studied her, the more he began to see why most girls use makeup to hide such blemishes. On the other hand, he appreciated the subtle confidence that this fact portrayed. Obviously, she had felt no need to hide behind some kind of mask…

Mr. Collins cut the class short by ten minutes, and assigned the class some extra work while they waited for the bell. Slipping out of the classroom door into the quiet hallway, Mr. Collins straightened his tie. _Ms. Bell should be in the break room right about now… I'm not missing this opportunity again._

Two rooms away, Edward Cullen cringed at the unfettered thoughts of the teacher in the hall. Bella gave him a concerned look from her seat adjacent him, but he smiled slightly to ease her worry. Raising her shield for half a second, she thought, _Love you, Edward_. He smiled the way she loved, and gave her hand an affectionate squeeze from beneath the desk.

"And it's not like I'm just taking this class to _take_ it," the girl rambled as she violently shoved her Algebra II text into her book bag.

Jasper sighed, trying to focus on his quadratic equation. The class was full of laughing and talking now that the teacher had left. Only the dedicated and the geeky were actually doing the work the teacher had assigned before he left. The lead on the tip of his pencil ground into fine dust the next time he heard her nagging voice, making a 150-page hole in his workbook.

"It's for my sister, Eva. She was all, 'You can't take Consumer Math! Idiots take that class!' Yeah, she was a real nerd in high school… all A's and advanced placement and crap. She's putting me to too high of a standard, you know? Just because Mom's not home doesn't mean that she can just boss me all –"

The girl jumped when she heard the sound of a hand smacking a desktop. She carefully looked over at the young man beside her, and gauged the expression of pure anger on his face. His strangely gold eyes were trained on her homework sheet, and his pale lips formed a line. His shoulders were square and tense, as if he was trying to push something very heavy. "I really don't care," he muttered, tearing his eyes away from her desk.

She shifted, uncomfortable.

Jasper felt like smacking himself. Alice was probably already on her way there. One. Simple. Thought. _One_ passing notion lead to his almost losing control. But he wouldn't… he _couldn't_. He wasn't even thirsty; he had just hunted earlier that morning. But that call… that _siren_… that sweet cantata of human blood that sang to him endlessly. He did not have to encounter his singer to be overcome so easily by the bloodlust. Each and every human in that school was equally as appealing. Jasper cringed away from the peppermint-scented human, whose heart had sped up from his outburst.

The girl scoffed, securing her self-confidence. "Whatever."

Even through it all, Jasper could not tear his eyes away the multiple wrong answers slopped over the girl's homework sheet. From the numbers and letters that he could actually distinguish, over two thirds of them were wrong by just the slightest bit. In a simple equation, she had _added_ 2 and 4 instead of multiplying them. In her binomial theorem, she had listed the exponents in descending order, rather than ascending. These trivial errors irked Jasper to the core, but subconsciously lowered his imminent thirst for the blood pulsing around him.

The human girl began writing out the formula to find the _r__th_ term of a polynomial. She left off the factorial sign in the denominator. This could be trouble.

"Excuse me," he said in a silky smooth voice. The girl turned haughtily to her strange neighbor.

"Can I help you, _sir?_" she demanded sarcastically. Irritation was in not only her voice, but also flowing off her in quick, powerful bursts.

Jasper smirked slightly before responding, "I couldn't help but notice that –"

A slow blush worked up the girl's neck and cheeks, and she moved her elbow to cover her pencil work.

"– you have quite a few – "

Jasper quickly realized that it was not a blush of shyness, but of rage.

"– errors…?"

Her eyes burned with what Jasper could only describe as blatant offense mixed with ultimate contempt. He was amazed how she managed to fit all these words in one breath, "Just because we aren't all _gifted_ _and_ _talented_ in this class doesn't mean that we have to bow down our _superiors_ like thankful little dweebs, _thank you very much_."

She turned her affronted eyes back to her paper, and hunched over it like a troll guarding a bridge. Jasper – becoming slightly annoyed himself with the amount of frustration he was receiving from her – sighed and returned to his work. If she would not accept his help, then he was more than willing to _never_ offer it again. The bell sounded for next period, and the girl popped up so quickly that her knee nicked the underside of her desk loudly. Pain shot through the rest of her leg, but she paid no mind, gathering her books hastily.

"By the way, _Gifted and Talented_," she said harshly, zipping up her backpack with such force that it gave a high pitch squeak as though hurt somehow, "The name's Emmeline. Emmeline Forest. Don't forget it."

The human stormed from the room with her nose held high in the air, her oversized, overweight book bag dangling precariously on the edge of her small shoulder. Jasper smirked after her, and Emmett shot him a smug look, clicking his tongue and winking.

Jasper sighed once more and collected him books. He got exactly what he deserved for even _trying_ to interact with a human. It was an impossible thing to do, really: maintain a normal relationship between his kind and theirs. Edward and Bella's situation was rare indeed. Nevertheless, as he walked from the classroom 18A into the crowded hall, Jasper couldn't help but wonder why he hadn't noticed Emmeline Forest before today…

*J*

"You made her _cry_?"

Jasper turned away from Edward's reproachful glare, just to be met by Bella's. He should have known that Emmett would go blowing it out of proportion to the family at the lunch hour he decided to miss. A refreshing jog though the city's densely-treed park had cleared his senses. "No, I did –" he began to say "not," but was cut off by Edward's accusing, "Ah-ha!"

"So you admit it!" he declared triumphantly.

Rain blurred the windshield of Edward's car, distorting buildings and figures as they pass on the way out of the high school parking lot. Quickly catching himself, he flicked on the windshield wipers. Any _normal_ person wouldn't be able to see properly out of the water-drenched window.

Bella gave a weary sigh, turning around to face forward in the passenger seat again. She gave Edward a pointed look, addressing Jasper, "_I_ believe you, Jasper. It was just a misunderstanding."

Now, being in a car with his angry siblings wasn't the worst thing that was bothering Jasper at the moment. Not at all. It was the talk he would no doubt be receiving from his darling wife, upon arriving at their residence.

Rosalie and Emmett had taken their own car to school that day. They were masquerading as seniors at the high school, and were planned to get "married" (for at least the fiftieth time) after graduation. They had been branching out more as a couple lately, getting people used to the idea.

Edward turned onto the road leading to the elementary school, expecting to see Renesmee waiting in her usual spot out front.

At that precise moment, a certain, choppy-haired, frail-looking high school junior happened to be traipsing past Renesmee's school. The hybrid stared at the girl strangely, out from under her hot pink umbrella, bewildered by the angry scowl etched across the human's face. Said human looked up at her briefly, grimacing at something in her own mind. Renesmee watched the girl walk away down the sidewalk, but lost interest when a familiar silver Volvo approached. _Hi, Daddy!_

*E*

To say that Emma was irritated… was a dire understatement. Her fingertips dug almost painfully into the strap of her bag, trying to offset some of the weight pulling down on her shoulder. She grumbled incoherently to herself as she took a right turn after the elementary school. A few more blocks, and one more turn found her squarely in front of the large, glass storefront of _Forest's Antiques_.

The store was the first shop one would come to, when entering the one-way cul-de-sac of Irondale's shopping stores. A roundabout of merchants, if you will. Most of the stores were privately owned (_Nancy's Fancy_ – a consignment store, _Butler's Suits_ – the name says it all, _Unique Finds: Antique Mall_ – the Forests' competition), and had not been remodeled since they were built in the early 20th century. A small, circular grass area made up the center of the road, some rusting park benches shaded by several dogwood trees. The only disadvantage of this setup was the fact that the road was one-way. Some people would circle the grass ten times before finding a parking space by the storefronts.

Irondale was a slow, humble town – only consisting of 20,000 people in population – that cherished their time-old history. The mayor himself was nearly as old as the town, and wasn't keen on "changing what was already good and fine."

Now, _Forest's Antiques _– open Monday thru Saturday, 9am to 4pm – it was a modest shop, to say the least. However, Emma's parents had promised to pass it down to her, so… she wasn't complaining about living in the apartment above it or anything. Emma stomped up to the glass double doors, angrily yanking open the right one. The irritating bell on the door rang shrilly.

"Welcome to – ! Oh… it's just you, Emma…"

The cashier's eyes fell back to his register in disappointment. The shop hadn't had a steady flow of customers all day, with the weather the way it was. However, the over-eager 20-year-old was always on the watch for possible patrons.

Emma shook her untidy hair, sending drops of water all over the polished cherry-wood floors and the spotless glass windows. The inside of _Forest's_ was much like the outside – plain. An oak counter – the kind you see in old theater houses – sat in the fore-section of the long, drab room. Upon this counter were several uncategorized items, as well as an old, non-computerized cash register. Long, dusty shelves lined the walls, each holding hoards of historic treasures. Where there weren't shelves, there were tall, oak bookshelves, piled and filed with hundreds of aged books. Several ancient tables and desks were strewn across the red-carpeted room, equally loaded with goods. Two plain ceiling fans – evenly spaced – lined the ceiling, and a great, crystal chandelier hung between them. A wooden door stood closed on the left wall (with the red sign – "DO NOT ENTER"), and a glass door – propped open by a decades-old garden gnome – lead to a small office on the right. Several heater vents blew in a fruitless attempt to raise the chill from the giant room. The only success the heating system achieved was stirring up the stale, musty atmosphere. In short, the ambiance was unfitting for any hyper-allergenic victim who may pass the threshold.

"Hey, _Ron_." The girl's voice had an edge to it as she greeted the one and only employee. "Nice _weather_ out, wouldn't you say?"

The young man's eyebrows rose as Emma dropped her heavy (now soaking wet) book bag to the floor with a thud. He watched as she began to ring out the drenched hem of her flannel sweater.

"First, I forget my lunch this morning, so I had to spend $10 in the cafeteria. Then, Ms. _friggin'_ Thompson failed me on this stupid paper in English – honestly, who reads Jane Austen anymore! _Then_, Mr. Collins hands me back my term exam with a big fat _F_ on it! I swear to God, if that man didn't live so close to the police department –"

"Emma, I can see you're upset, but – um – can't you…" Ron trailed off; he jerked head to the couple huddled in the corner of the huge room, who was closely scrutinizing a crystal "Star of David" vase.

Emma scoffed, glaring at the couple as she took hold of the handle of her bad and proceeded to drag it toward the door on the left. "Send Eva up if she ever decides to _show _her face," she snarled as she flung the door open. Swinging her bag in before herself with a colossal clunk, Emma stalked in and slammed the door so hard that the "DO NOT ENTER" sign knocked against the door several times, emitting a pitiful 'Tink!'

Her bag thudded on each step as she dragged it up the narrow stairwell to her place of residence. The close walls in this passage had always made her feel slightly claustrophobic. Rain could be seen pounding on the tiny, pained window above the small, square landing. If one were to peer out this window, they would perhaps become dizzy by the view of the dark alley between _Forest's Antiques_ and _Liz's Bakery_. To the left, and one more step up found her stepping on the soft, butter cream bur-bur carpet of the small apartment living room.

The house was silent – not a trace of life – just the same as it had been for two months.

She flicked on the light switch, and three of the four lights from the ceiling fan flickered on. The fourth bulb had been out for several weeks. She plopped her bag onto the old, coffee-colored cashmere couch, running a hand through her damp hair before unbuttoning her drenched sweater. She shook it a few times before hanging it on the old-style hat stand just inside the doorway. Her dark purple puddle-hoppers made damp marks of the carpet as she crossed the small room into the smaller kitchen.

The neon-yellow linoleum floor of the galley kitchen always reminded Emma of potato salad. She took half a plastic-wrapped sugar cookie from her pocket and set it on the mustard-yellow counter, opening an equally yellow antique fridge. There was some leftover pasta, a bag of carrots, half a gallon of milk, and a case of Coke.

She groaned.

The Forest's apartment was comfortable – comfortable being one-step-up from crowded, that is. The living room was only slightly larger than the bedrooms, which were just as crowded with stuff. A 1930's coffee table had been made into a makeshift entertainment center, where a large 500-pound television sat. The screen flickered and pixilated whenever in use, so it was rarely called upon. The walls of this room were paneled pine, nailed into place at least 30 years prior.

A door-less entry branched from the right side of this room, leading a very small hallway – two doors on the left side, and one on the right. The two doors exactly opposite each other were bedrooms; the other, closer door to the left was the only bathroom in the house. The tiny ½ bath was wedge right in between the kitchen and the girls' room. A shower stall was crammed in with a toilet and a sink, with one small, mirrored cabinet above the sink. The two bedrooms were almost identical in size, and fully endowed with mismatched antique furniture. The door on the right had not been opened in approximately two months. However, the door on the left was the girls' room, which had a lovely view of the roundabout down below.

A small window above the porcelain kitchen sink also faced the street, though this one was opaque, due to the poor glasswork of the late 19th century. The cabinets flanking this window were simply white walled pine, with knots in the wood showing through the white every now and again. A half-filled dish strainer sat to the left of the sink, and a black stovetop/oven was on the right – nearly the only 21st century appliance in the house.

Last, but not least, a narrow oak door lead from the left side of the living room, which was usually left cracked open a fraction of an inch. Mr. Forest's study was strewn with papers and trinkets, waiting indefinitely for signatures or repair. The loud ticking of a grandfather clock could be heard coming from the small room.

Emma pulled the tab on a Coke and took a long swig. She had piles of Algebra homework to do, and needed the extra brain power that the caffeine of the drink would provide. The cold weather, plus the freezing can of Coke, didn't bother her. She was so used to it, having lived in the same place her entire life. This was the house she was born in (literally – Mrs. Forest went into early labor), this was the house where she took her first step, where she said her first word ("Coke" – ironically)...

She slunk off down the hallway. She always hated how it came to such an abrupt halt after the doors. A circular end table sat at the dead-end, bearing one single item. Emma gritted her teeth when she saw it – a picture of her parents on their wedding day.

"Edgar Forest and Eloise Grey – United 1971" the words ran along the copper-and-gold frame. Her parents had eloped at an early age, and waited several years to have their two girls – Evangeline and Emmeline. Her mother's young face was beaming up at her new husband, seeming not to notice the photographer. Edgar, too, only had eyes for the beautiful woman he held tightly in his arms.

With a soft, irritated growl, Emma took the top of the frame and slammed it face down again. "Stupid Eva," she grumbled, jerking the second left-hand door open with more force than necessary. It slammed behind her, causing the frame to tremble.

The rain continued to pour.

*E*

The steady beeping of the monitor was comforting, in a way, to Evangeline Forest. The electronic chart of the heart meter read the same thing over and over again, almost as if promising to continue indefinitely. She couldn't tell what the other numbers and lines on the screen were, however, they hadn't changed at all – very much like the heartbeat. The dry, cold hand she held in hers tensed slightly, and Eva startled, searching the face of her mother in a vain attempt to find life.

Her mother sighed, as if troubled by a dream, and her hand relaxed in Eva's hold. The 21-year-old sighed too, discouraged, and resumed her vigilant study of the monitor screen above the medical cot. It read the same as before – the same as it had for the past two months.

"Oh, Miss Forest, I hadn't realized…"

Eva's eyes lifted from her mother's pale face, meeting the dark figure poised halfway through the door. She felt an all-too-familiar pang in her chest at the well-known face. "It's all right. I need to go home, anyway."

The girl stood from her mother's bed, adjusting the strap of her still-shouldered purse, and met the doctor at the foot of the bed. She frowned. "I thought you promised not to let me go past three hours again."

The doctor smiled sadly. "My apologies. Though I'm afraid you'll have to brave the rain if you leave now…"

Eva could hear the rain pelting the curtained window of the hospital room – just the same as when she first arrived. "I suppose I will…," she trailed off, shivering. She thought about striking up some small talk, but decided against it. The young doctor always threw her off-balance.

Then, remembering, "Oh, I'd meant to ask you." She caught the doctor's arm, leaning close as if asking about a secret. "Has anything changed?" Her voice was soft and pleading, her eyes trained on woman in the bed.

Though her mother's hair was snow-white, her face held the youth of her younger days. You could see her kind, honest spirit in the soft wrinkles of her face. Eva hadn't missed how those age lines had become more pronounced with each passing day…

The doctor's brow furrowed and he repeated what he had been telling her for two long months. "Your mother's coma has not changed, Evangeline."

Eva nodded curtly, putting on a brave face. She did not speak, for fear her voice would falter. However, she did not forget her manners. "Thank you, Dr. Cullen. I'll… see you next week." She turned away from the man, biting her lip, fighting a frown. She slowly lowered her coat from the hook on the wall near the door.

"Enjoy your evening, Miss Forest."

She nodded silently, closing the door softly behind her. The sounds of the hospital were routine and ordinary to Eva by now… phones ringing, nurses chattering, wheelchair tires squeaking on the waxed linoleum… the friendly nods that familiar people gave her in passing. She exited from the west wing, having traveled two flights of stairs and several corridors, out into the crisp, wet air. A large onning covered several benches and potted plants near the hospital entrance, an old lady or two out enjoying the rain-scented afternoon.

Eva pulled up the hood of her heavy winter coat over her long hair, keeping the rest of it pinned down her back and waist. Soon, the ends of it would stick out of the hem of most jackets… Mrs. Forest always cherished her long hair – Eva had sworn not to cut it until her mother returned to her.

The young woman dashed through the rain, puddles soaking through the bottom of her jeans and the felt of her Wal-Mart boots. She dug the keys of an '87 Grand Am out of her coat pocket with her stiff, chilled fingers. She stuck them in the door of the emerald green (well, half-emerald green, half-grey primer) compact, turning them swiftly. Her fingers slipped on the wet handle three times before she successfully opened the driver's door. Teeth chattering, she turned the keys in the ignition and rubbed her hands together.

The ride from the hospital back to the shop was short; Eva didn't bother attempting to use the heating system. Besides, she had to conserve the half-tank of gas as long as she possibly could. She pulled into one of the slanted parking spots in front of the store, waiting for the windshield wipers to finish their swipe before cutting the engine.

She sighed heavily – her breath condensing in the extreme cold air of the vehicle – before opening the door to the rain again. She jumped across the river of water running between the road and the sidewalk curb, narrowly escaping an embarrassing fall. The moldy, warmish air of the shop was much preferable to the cold, dank outside. She used to love the rain, as her mother did, up until a few months ago…

"Welcome to Forest's Ant – ! Oh… hey, Eve."

Those who respected her called her Miss Forest, acquaintances called her Evangeline, friends called her Eve. But only – _only_ her sister, Emmeline, called her Eva. The shop was completely empty, and the whirr of the exhausted heater was heard like the echo of a scream through a tunnel. The familiar smell of the past greeted Eva, and she took a deep breath of it with familiarity and satisfaction.

"Hello, Ron. Slow day?" she asked, unwinding a flannel scarf from around her neck.

He shrugged. "No more than normal. And you?"

Eva sighed, a common occurrence as of late, and started undoing the loops of her coat. "Oh, the time just flew away from me…"

"Is that why you forgot to pick up Emma?" he asked tentatively.

Her eyes flew wide open, and her wrist jutted up to her nose. School had been let out at least 45 minutes ago. "My goodness! I need to –!"

Ronald Cooper hated seeing his employer so wound up. He signed. "She's already been in, Eve. She's upstairs…"

Eva dropped her hands, crestfallen. "I even promised her," she mumbled to herself, scowling at the ground. Their mother had taught them the importance of keeping their word, no matter what the fray. She strived endlessly to be like Eloise, but Eva could never quite see how her mother had done it all so well. She came back to herself after a moment. "Well… thank you, Ron. You can close up early, if you like. I don't think this weather will help with sales much…"

The young man nodded, tapping some paper on the counter to staple them. "Awesome. I agree. Have a good night, then," he called after her as she walked towards the apartment door. The foam soles of her boots made funny squishing sounds as she went.

"Thanks, you too."

There was a terrible draft in the stairwell, causing Eva to shutter as she closed the door behind herself. The rain still thundered on the roof – she could hear it better on the second floor – and she had half a mind that it was hail at this point. The house was ominously quiet as Eva placed her things on the hat rack. She frowned again when she saw Emma's coat already there.

She combed her long, golden hair with her fingers as she stepped into the kitchen. She stood there for a long time, picking at a rat's nest at the nape of her neck, with no significant thought passing through her mind. The shades of yellow in the kitchen were familiar and comforting to her, after the troubled day she'd had. She had recently invented this numb state of mind, to cope with…

"Eva! Where have you _been_?"

Her sister – obviously upset – stood on the hallway/living room threshold. Eva couldn't help but smile at her younger sister, though she was so angry. "I'm _so_ sorry, Em. I forgot –"

"Yeah, you _forgot_," Emma fumed, stepping around Eva like an angry tigress. "And in the rain, too!" Emma folded her arms crossly, but her voice turned soft. "How's Mom?"

Eva shook her head, leaning back against the kitchen counter. "Nothing new."

The words hung between them for three long seconds, and fell only when a clap of thunder rattled the glass in the kitchen window. Eva jumped, and whirled around towards the window. Water was seeping through the bottom of the sill, staining the wooden shelf there. "Oh," she sighed, tearing a paper towel from the roll to dry it. She stuck an extra piece along the sill just in case it got worse.

"So, besides the rain, how was your day, Em?"

But there was no answer.

When Eva turned around, Emma had already left the room. She sighed and followed her trail down the hallway. She immediately noticed the picture on the end table had been turned down again. Eva's fingers brushed the tarnished metal of the frame, feeling her heart plummet and the numbness lift from her thoughts. Emma had been a mess those past few months – Eva could plainly see that. However, she could find no solution to her sister's depression, because she herself was suffering from it also.

If only their mother were well…

She gingerly sat the frame upright, gazing at the photo within for a long moment. She sighed, finally pulling her attention to the bedroom door. She didn't need to knock, for it was her room as well. Neither of the girls had dared to open the door to the room across the hall… ever since…

Emma was hunched over the small writing desk in the corner, scribbling rapidly on a spiral notebook. Eva had always scolded her about how close she kept her eyes to the paper, how her back arched when she did her work. Eva sat on the closer of the two twin beds, watching her sister contemplatively. She'd neglected her tutoring as of late, and Emma's grades were suffering because of it. She decided to stay home during the coming weekend (it was Thursday), to help Emma with her homework during that time. It would be difficult on Saturday – as that was her day to watch the shop, along with Monday and Wednesday – but at least they would have Sunday to themselves.

"I went to visit Dad today."

Emma's monotone voice brought Eva back from her thoughts. A deep sadness compressed her chest. "Really?"

"During lunch… I finished eating early."

The cemetery was a short walk from Irondale High. It hadn't surprised Eva that Emma actually went to their father's grave, for she did so often. What had surprised her was that she'd gone in the rain and cold, which she'd always detested. Emma had been closer to Mr. Forest – a daddy's girl. Closer, in some ways, than even Eva was to their mother.

Eva's mind strayed to earlier days as Emma's Pink Pearl eraser squeaked across her paper hastily.

A few seconds later, a paper airplane hit Eva right in the nose. "Ow." She unfolded it, not fazed by her sister's usually strange behavior, and looked over the page. There were so many red pen marks; it looked as though blood had splattered across the Algebra test. "Emmeline!" The grade in the corner, however, _did_ faze her. "I thought you _knew_ your quadratic equations!"

Emma scoffed. "Don't try to sound like Mom. _And_, it's hard to excel when you have a hard-ass for a teacher…" She rolled her eyes. "He sprang this on us in the middle of our factoring chapter."

Eva's temper flared, and her voice turned stern, hard, distant. "Do _not_ blame this on some high school teacher. It's not like he _wrote_ any of this; he's just presenting this foundational algebra to you in his class."

"Yeah, well, we can't _all _pass the college entrance exam in 10th grade, Eva." Eva's lips formed a line; Emma always sprung that one on her in discussions like these. "Besides, it not like I'm going to college, anyway…"

"Don't say that. That's what I always said in high school, and now –"

"Now you can't even go back to college."

The silence grew thicker and thicker as the seconds ticked on. Eva's face was hard, as it usually was when she felt _any_ strong emotion, and Emma's was fiery hot as she matched and surpassed her sister's glare. After an immeasurable moment, Eva stood, breaking the connection. "I'm going to pick up some groceries. Do you want to come?"

Emma bent back over her work. "No," she bit harshly.

"Do you want anything?"

"No."

Eva sighed, half-closing the door behind her. She walked back to the living room, put on her coat and scarf, and made sure her checkbook was in her purse. Descending the steps, she began a mental checklist of items to get at the store.

Ron had closed the shop – the lights were off, the thermostat turned down for the night. Eva shivered as she crossed the room and unlocked the storefront door, ducking back out into the rain…

*J*

Alice blinked out of distant stare, a small pucker between her eyebrows. She was all alone on the porch, waiting for the others to return from school. The swinging bench swayed slightly in the breeze, but Alice didn't seem to notice as she sat upon it, frozen as a statue. The heavy rain thundered on the roof of the house; the wind caused a chilly mist to blow across the open porch of the Cullen's current residence.

But the cold wasn't what was bothering the tiny girl.

She wore no sweater; no goose bumps appeared on her smooth, porcelain skin. Whatever was bothering the statue seemed to be generated within, by her own strange mind. It was the third time, she determined, that she'd had the same vision. Edward had seen it too, just once, the first time, but he had insisted that it would change. That the future she saw was impossible. It was vague, cloudy, and distant – as if the person in it had only considered the idea, or perhaps, the person's subconscious had conjured the plan.

Nevertheless, the statue frowned.

Rosalie's most recent purchase then rolled into the driveway. A sleek, black Eclipse purred along the cement driveway and stopped in front of the giant garage to the right of the house. The garage door opened automatically, and Alice heard the engine cut only seconds before Emmett and Rosalie were standing on the porch, not a drop of water on their coats.

"Hello, Alice. Did you stay there all day?" Rosalie asked, recalling that that very spot was where they'd said their most recent goodbye.

Alice nodded absently, ignoring Emmett's booming laugh. She'd seen this very scene earlier that afternoon. "Edward's home." Seconds later, the sounds of an approaching car reached Rosalie's and Emmett's ears.

Emmett shuttered. "Eerie."

The back door of the Volvo opened and closed in half a second, even before the car had began to slow for the garage. Alice was suddenly in Jasper's arms – her feet dangling inches above the planks of the porch, her cheek pressed against his chest.

"How's the cold, darlin'?" he whispered conversationally.

"I think I broke my fever," she replied playfully, twisting her fingers in his silky, blond hair.

Jasper paused a moment, startled by the mix of emotions suddenly bombarding him. "Alice…" He pulled back, throwing Edward a strange look as he passed him to enter the house. "Did you have a good day?"

She forced the smile, as well as the burst of joy. "Yes, Jasper. Esme stayed home with me all day."

Jasper nodded, holding his wife by the waist as they followed Edward and Bella into the living room. Ironically, a happy fire crackled in the hearth. The entire two story, 3,500-square-foot, six bedroom, three bathroom house was done in warm, rustic colors – a brave new design approach that Esme took when they moved there not so long ago.

Esme sat on one of the three dark brown leather couches that faced the hearth, rapidly thrusting and pulling a sewing needle through Emmett's favorite jacket. He'd gotten a little too excited during the last Cullen family baseball game, and had begged Esme to add it to the clothes repair queue.

She smiled pleasantly at her children. "Hi, everyone. How was school?"

"Boring," sighed Edward.

"I met a new girl in General Science," said Bella, smiling.

"This really popular girl remembered my name at lunch," Renesmee gushed.

"I brought a frog into Ms. Thompson's class – freaked her out." Emmett smirked.

"I _caught_ the frog and threw it out the window," droned Rosalie, throwing a glare at Emmett.

Everyone then looked at Jasper.

He shifted uncomfortably under the scrutiny. "Um, not much happened today… Er, got a good grade back in Algebra…?" he added hopefully.

Emmett laughed. "I think _everyone_ got wind of your little antic in Collins' hellhole," he snickered.

Bella frowned, and Edward narrowed his eyes at Jasper. His empathic brother had made a very good effort of keeping the incident from his thoughts. Everyone but Esme seemed to be well informed on the matter.

Jasper felt a surge of concern from the couch. "What happened, Jasper?" she asked curiously, dropping her sewing onto the couch next to her.

Jasper shrugged, but felt how tense Alice was at his side. "Nothing _bad_," he explained. "Just talked to a girl in Algebra, that's all."

Esme's eyes flickered to Alice, silently asking her something. Then – as she saw no hint of disquiet on Alice's face – she smiled at Jasper. "That's good, Jasper. You know how talking seems to distract them…," she trailed off, stepping forward to embrace her granddaughter.

"Is Jake back yet?" asked the girl hopefully.

Bella put a comforting hand on her daughter's back. "Sorry, dear. Seth hasn't heard a word, but Jacob did promise to phase within the next few days. I'm sure everyone back at La Push is just keeping him extra-busy."

Jasper felt a gentle tug on his hand, and looked down to meet Alice's imploring eyes. No one seemed to notice as the couple slipped from the room, and up to the second floor. Alice pulled her husband to sit on their bed when they arrived in their room. Alice sighed, deep in thought, and absently stroked Jasper's cold cheek.

He was cautious. Things were never well when Alice was quiet. Pulling her into his lap, he kissed her temple lovingly, burying his nose in her spiky, black hair. "What's wrong, Alice?" he whispered tenderly, "You can't lie to me, you know…"

She leaned into his touch, sighing when she knew he was right. "She's lived here in town her whole life. She has an older sister who takes care of her as a mother would. Her father is dead; her mother is hospitalized – terrible car accident about two months ago."

Jasper's face hardened. This wasn't an uncommon thing for Alice to do. If she ever sensed that his control was slipping, that he'd been tempted, she'd remind him how precious the human's life was. They would discuss the particular human's experiences – their futures – and that usually put it in enough perspective for Jasper to resist. He didn't mind that she was doing it now… he just didn't want to talk about the minty-fresh little girl in Algebra. However, if he didn't go along with Alice, she would know how much the girl affected him, then she would tell Edward or Carlisle, then he would have to endure a long lecture, and probably be banished to the animal-filled forest for a week. He didn't want that at all… however tempting it may sound…

"What's wrong with her mother?"

"Coma. Carlisle is the one taking care of her at the hospital. I haven't seen how it will turn out… as though the woman must make up her mind to live. That will determine if she recovers – if she has the will to live."

"And the sister? Is she at school, too?"

"No. She's already graduated and left for college. However, she returned to Irondale when her father died, and has stayed since. She visits her mother at least four times a week."

Jasper pulled back to see her eyes. She had a mix of sadness and sincerity coming off her, and he could plainly see it in her gentle, golden eyes as well. "You've seen a lot about these humans," he remarked softly.

She nodded, leaning up to brush his lips with hers. He felt a surge of regret shoot off her as she pressed her lips more urgently to his. He returned her kiss, holding her tiny frame closer to his marble body. He sensed she was hiding something, but didn't press it.

They made love.

*E*

The Grand Am sputtered along, coming home from an expensive trip to Win-Dixie. Just three paper bags bounced in the trunk, and Eva's checking account was considerably lower. She nervously watched the yellow line on the road, worried about the blurry windshield and darkening sky. She had always been an anxious driver.

She parked in her usual spot in front of the store, but this time entered the shop next to hers – _Liz's Bakery_. Lizelle Pirelli herself was behind the glass counter of the bakery, pounding mercilessly on a ball of bread dough. The middle-aged woman looked up when the sound of the rain became worse through the open door. The Italian's face lit up like Christmas.

"Evy, darling! What a surprise!" Ms. Pirelli stopped her work and dusted her flour-covered hands on her white apron. She circled around the counter to Eva.

"Hi, Ms. Pirelli. Something smells really good…"

The baker gave her half a hug, avoiding her powdery hands and front. "_Grâzie_! _Grâzie_! It's so good to see you… so pretty!" She brushed Eva's flushed cheek with the back of her hand affectionately. "I haven't seen you since…," she trailed off, the smile washing away from her face.

Edgar Forest's funeral had not only drawn Eva away from her second year of college, but also the entire town away from their personal business. The Forest family was highly respected in Irondale, and everyone came to pay their grief. Edgar's grandfather's father helped settle Irondale after all – the whole Forest family was apart of the town's heritage. Even Liz – a first generation Italian immigrant to Irondale – came to mourn the great man.

Eva smiled awkwardly. "Well, I just came by to see what's new… I heard people in the Win-Dixie bakery complimenting how much better your Danishes are than theirs…"

"Oh!" Liz's hand flew to her heart, making a palm-shaped print of powder on the red, wool sweater there. "They say that about me, Eve? _Sono felice_!"

Liz and Eva exchanged some small talk as the latter sampled the cook's new recipe for butterscotch fudge. Behind the vast, glass display counter was a multitude of desserts, breads, delicates, and many other mouth-watering things that came from Liz's gigantic kitchen. The shop was constantly warm – almost hot – from the unstoppable working of the ovens and stoves. Eva lost track of time and spent about half an hour there, in the comforting warmth.

"Oh, I completely forgot." Eva rose from the seat she had taken with Liz. About five wooden tables were crammed into the small waiting area in front of the counter. "I wanted to get Emma her favorite…" she cut off, stepping forward to scrutinize the display case. The selection hadn't changed a bit in the two years she'd been gone. "Ah, the Boston cream streusel… Is it still popular?" she asked her companion as Liz swept around to fetch it for her.

"Ah, yes. Everybody always tries it once… and twice." Liz smiled as she picked the most streusel-covered one and sealed it in a pastry box. She handed it to Eva. "No charge," she whispered, winking.

Eva flushed and babbled her thanks, waving as she departed. Fortunately, the eave of the shop roofs overlapped across the alleyway, sheltering Eva from the cold rain that continued to fall. She glanced at the Grand Am; she'd have to come back for the groceries if she wanted to keep the streusel dry. She quickly unlocked the glass door to the shop and closed it, shivering at the difference in temperature.

She smelt the bacon halfway up the stairs.

The three paper bags were on the kitchen counter, empty and neatly folded. The bacon in the pan on the stove popped and hissed as Emma flipped each piece. With the other hand, she poured a tablespoon of milk into a pan of scrambled eggs, leaning over to replace the jug in the refrigerator. "'Bout time! It's breakfast-dinner!" she called, slamming the fridge closed with her hip. She began whipping the eggs with a whisk.

With what skill she lacked in higher math, Emma made up with her ability to cook. Their father had been the chief of the family, so it was natural that Emma had inherited his skills. Eva took after their mother – a practical hazard in the kitchen, but with more brains than the best of them.

Eva clutched her pitiful pastry box, feeling guilty all over again. "Sorry, Em… I could've gotten that…" There was nothing worse than hauling grocery bags through the rain.

Emma shrugged, pointing to a cupboard with her elbow as she started removing the strips of bacon from the pan and onto a plate. "Just set the table and we're even."

The Forest's home lacked a proper eating area. The strip of linoleum that made up the kitchen could barely fit two people sideways, much less a table. Thus, the fold-up table and chairs that were leaned against the wall by the door to the office came into play.

Eva wrestled with the spring-loaded table legs before retrieving two plates from the cupboard. There were indentions in the living room carpet from those very table legs – evidence that this ritual had been in practice for many years. Eva folded down two of the four chairs, poured two glasses of milk, and help Emma place the food on the table.

"What is that?" Emma motioned to the white box in the middle of the table, as she swallowed half a piece of bacon.

Eva sipped her 1% milk and answered. "It's a box, silly."

"What's _in_ the box, Eva?" she asked playfully.

Eva smiled. Things seemed to have returned to normal in her absence. "Why don't you look for yourself?"

Emma sniffed the air with her nose held high. "Oh, I know now." She smirked.

Eva scoffed, scooping up some fluffy scrambled eggs. "You can't smell it from way over there…"

"Oh, yes I can. I detected the Boston cream with my superior senses."

Eva laughed easily, some happiness coming back into her bright, hazel eyes. "Well, since we're related, shouldn't I have superior senses as well?"

"Oh, no," Emma said matter-of-factly. "Because the government did weird experiments on me when you were at college. Really horrible stuff…"

The sisters laughed together at the inside joke. Their grandfather on their mother's side always explained away strange behavior by saying it was caused by government conspiracies. No one ever knew if it was just a joke, or if he was being dead serious. He took the mystery to his grave.

"Which reminds me strangely," Emma continued. "There was this weird boy at school today."

"Is that so?" Eva asked, eager to share some of her sister's life with her. "Is he a new student?"

Emma sighed, pushing her eggs around on her plate. "No… He's been in my Algebra class for a while now… but he talked to me today."

Eva's jaw set. She didn't like how this sounded one bit. "What did he say?" she asked warily.

"Er, well," Emma stuttered, catching her sister's edge. "He didn't actually _talk_ to me, he just kind of… responded."

Eva narrowed her eyes. "Responded how?"

"Well, at first he insulted my intelligence. Then, he got mad at me for no reason and almost broke his desk… then he insulted me again."

Eva was relieved, but she didn't let it show on her face. "How rude," she said primly, nibbling the end of her bacon. "And in class too…"

"Ye-ah," Emma agreed eagerly, taking advantage of Eva's compassion. "Right in class!"

"What's his name?"

"Jasper Cullen."

"Oh," Eva deadpanned. She had only heard good things about the Cullen children. "You know, his father is Mother's doctor."

Emma's brow furrowed. "No kidding? And here I thought he was just another rich snob." She grunted sarcastically.

Eva frowned. "Dr. Cullen is a very good man, Em. I'd be surprised that his son –" Eva stopped abruptly, suddenly befuddled. "How old is Jasper? Is he in your grade?"

Emma forked a pile of eggs. "Yeah. Junior. Why?"

"You haven't met Dr. Cullen, have you?" she asked suspiciously. It dawned on her than that Emma had not been to visit their mother at the hospital at all. She made a note to take her there one day… soon. "Fresh out of med school, as I hear it. He couldn't possibly be out of his twenties. How could he have a child in high school?"

Emma shrugged, shaking more salt on her eggs. "Dunno. Nobody knows much about those Cullen's anyway."

Eva pursed her lips in thought. People around town had told her about the doctor's family before, but they never mentioned how old his children were. Apparently, they had moved here just a few months ago from somewhere up North. They were definitely not in town when Eva went to college two years ago. She filed the information away for later.

"Never mind. Let's clean up dinner. I bet you have a load of homework, don't you?"

Emma groaned, knocking back the last of her milk and gathering her dishes.

No light came through the window above the sink, and the rain still poured. Eva watched the occasional flashes of lightning as she did the dishes; she half-listened to Emma's enraged complaints about her English teacher.

The rain stopped sometime in the night, far after the two sisters fell to sleep.

* * *

><p><strong>The next chapter isn't as long, I promise. Wanna see it? Share your thoughts and review!<strong>

**-Scarlet**


	2. Chapter 2: Day Two

**Day Two: Friday**

*E*

"Well, at least the rain stopped. Are you going to finish that?"

Eva shook her head, pushing her plate of half-eaten toast across the table to her sister. Emma pulled the top piece off and started licking the cherry jam off. Eva shook her head in disapproval, wrapping her ice-cold hands around her steaming mug of black, instant coffee.

The house was freezing. The heater had decided to give up the ghost in the middle of the night. Ice was frozen around the edges of the windows; during the night, the rain had frozen into ice, and layers of it were now melting off the roads and windowsills of Irondale in the morning light of the clear sky. The sisters were already fully dressed as they waited for school time to approach, down to their heavy coats and double layered socks. It didn't help with the chill much, however. Emma wiggled her toes to get some feeling back in them.

A copy of the yellow pages lay open and forgotten on the table – a failed effort to find an affordable heater technician. Eva had determined to ask Ron about it later… he'd always seemed handy.

Eva shivered. "Are you sure you don't want me to call the school? You never know..."

Emma shook her head, taking a sip of her sugar-loaded coffee. The wool blanket that was wrapped around her slipped off her right shoulder. "They're tuff. They'd never call off school just for some frozen rain. Hey, wait a second!" Emma lifted her eyes to her sister accusingly. "Why are _you_ the one that's trying to make me stay home from school? This is totally backwards!"

Eva half-smiled at her little sister, leaning forward on her elbows. Steam still billowed from her half-cold coffee – hot, compared to the freezing temperature of the house. "I won't lie to you, Em. I want you to visit Mom."

Emma scowled. She shook her head stubbornly, pilling the crust of her toast on one side of her plate. "No, thanks."

Eva's eyes were sad, but she dropped the matter. Emma was silent in her seat during the short trip to the high school. Her eyes were straight-ahead and brooding. The hot pink ski cap with a hundred tiny skulls-with-purple-bows on it wasn't helping with the look, either.

Eva sighed when she pulled up to the curb to drop her off. "Listen, I promise to be here when school gets out. We'll do something fun tonight, OK? Then we'll have the _whole_ weekend. Sound good?"

Emma nodded curtly, yanking the door open and swinging her bag over her shoulder. "'Kay. Love you, Eva." Emma never held a grudge.

Eva smiled warmly. "Love you too, Em."

She slammed the door, circling around to the sidewalk. Eva watched her walk into the school, wondering what she could possibly come up with for tonight. She cranked her window down when a thought struck her, "Watch out for the ice, Emma! And button your coat!"

Emma gave her a funny glace, but began buttoning her coat anyway. Eva smiled in satisfaction. Suddenly, a car horn hocked behind her. She jumped at the uncommon sound, and saw a sleek, silver car in the rearview mirror. The driver had his eyes narrowed strangely at her, and the passenger watched her with a wide, curious gaze.

"O-Oh, sorry!" she called, as if the driver would hear her. She gave an apologetic wave as she pulled out of the parking lot. She clutched the wheel with frozen fingers as she drove down the road. She was always nervous when she drove in ice, too. The shop wouldn't open for another hour, so she had no reason to return to the ice-box. It was too cold to be outside at all, so she settled for a trip to the hospital. She hadn't planned on visiting today, but she hadn't planned on the heater dying either...

Each blade of grass by the sidewalk to the hospital entrance was frozen in a sheath of ice. Each blade looked like a jagged emerald crystal in the early sun. The cold, clear sky was mostly blue, but Eva had heard talk of a blizzard coming this weekend. Hopefully it would hold off until it was due. The chilly air carried her visible breath high above her head before it disappeared into nothing.

The hospital was more crowded that day, not a soul dared to face the arctic temperatures of the sunny Friday. Eva made her familiar way to the second floor, down the long-term care corridor. The usual receptionist at the desk nodded her through with a knowing smile. She proceeded to the third door on the right. Room 23. The chart was missing from the plastic bin outside the door, so someone must have been in with her. Eva gently tapped on the door before pushing it open.

Her face fell when she saw just a nurse by the bed. No Dr. Cullen today. The young, red-haired woman turned her attention away from the IV to acknowledge Eva's presence. Eva knew her as well.

"Good morning, Cathy."

"Hi, Eve!"

Catherine Morris had graduated in the same class as Eva, at the same school that every Irondale teen went. The Morris' had moved to Irondale when Cathy was young – Mr. Morris jumping on a big job offer by First National Bank – and she and Eva had been school-friends since 1st grade. Cathy had stayed in Irondale and commuted to a small college not far away, studying nursing there. She was in her internship phase of the program. Eva hadn't known Cathy well outside of school, and now, outside of the hospital. However, the familiar face was comforting whenever they bumped into each other.

"How are things?" Eva asked kindly.

"Great! I just finished third semester, and get to stay here in town for Christmas break! I'm so excited." She smiled hugely, glancing over some papers in a file folder.

Eva returned it. "Wow. Are you still trying to finish a year early?"

Cathy hummed eagerly. "I just can't stay away from Irondale too long, you know what I mean?"

Eva walked around the bed, nodding softly. "I think I do." Eva had only left for a college so far away because Cathy's school didn't offer the program she was interested in. She'd wondered many times if that had actually been a mistake.

Cathy, sensing Eva's desire to visit her mother alone, began gathering her things. Eva traced the prominent vein on her mother's hand absently. "Oh, Cathy," she called as the nurse made for the door.

She stuck her pencil through her red bun at the back of her head and half-turned. "Yeah?"

"Dr. Cullen isn't here today?"

The other girl shook her head. "He just called. He's running late this morning, but he'll be in later today."

"Oh… thanks."

They exchanged smiles, and Cathy left. Eva sighed and took her mother's hand again, once the door had closed softly. "Oh, Mother… if only you could see how handsome your doctor is. He's young and tall, with golden hair and fair skin… and the lightest color brown eyes I've ever seen."

Eva's thoughts strayed once again to the mysterious Cullen family. The night before, while she was supposed to be sleeping, she'd determined how a man so young could have children so old. Adoption. It was the only way. She made a mental task to ask Dr. Cullen about it whenever he got to work. She watched her mother's peaceful, still face for half an hour before she got too hot with her coat on.

She stood, unbuttoning her coat as she walked to the lazy boy in the corner. During the first week of her mother's coma, that was where she'd slept night after night. After so much nagging from Emma, she'd decided it was best to limit her time in the yellow-colored room. Thus, the visits began.

Eva flung her coat over the back of the seat, and stepped over to the window curtains. She pulled the multicolor material back to see the sun higher in the sky than before. The sparse clouds were gone and the grass was wet with melted ice. Time seemed to speed up as she stared out the window – the sun rose steadily in the sky, and the ground soaked up the water on the grass. The cars in the parking lot gleamed in the sun, their windshields reflecting the shine. It was difficult to imagine that it would all be covered in snow very soon...

*J*

_He's not here. I should be happy._

Edward listened carefully while he pushed a pile of peas around on his plate of uneaten food. Strangely enough, it was easier to isolate the girl's thoughts among the hundred or so minds in the high school cafeteria. Possibly because she was all alone at the table in the far corner.

_I'm happy, right? I'm disappointed… no, I'm happy! Happy, happy, happy!_

Rosalie's mind was silent, thanks to Bella, but her lips were not. "No, don't look up…"

Emmett scoffed. "Why?"

"'Cuz she'll see you, idiot. Ever heard of inconspicuousness?"

"Inconspicuousness? How many letters is that?"

"Sssshhh!" Bella interrupted. "She's looking over here!"

All three heads snapped down to stare at their food.

The young girl in the far corner looked down, too. _Something is definitely up with those Cullens. I wish I had the guts to go ask why he isn't…_

Edward sighed deeply, sticking his fork in the too-thick mashed potatoes so that it stood up of its own accord. "She's suspicious," he muttered under his breath, pinching the bridge of his nose.

Rosalie snorted. "No wonder." She smacked the back of Emmett's head.

"Ouch," he said.

"What's she thinking, Edward?" Bella asked, leaning closer.

Edward shook his head, glaring at his plate. The girl's thoughts were a twisted mess of denial and curiosity. "She's wondering about Jasper... why he's not here."

*E*

"Miss Forest?"

Eva clutched the armrest of her seat; electricity shot through her whole body as she felt the sensation of falling from a dream. She breathed heavily, holding her chest. "Y-Yes?"

Dr. Cullen smiled down at her. "Sorry to wake you..."

Eva looked around, disoriented. She didn't even remember sitting down, yet there she was, asleep in the armchair. Looking out the window, she found the sky had become cluttered with grey clouds, and snow was gently falling.

She sat up, holding her head. "How long was I –?"

Dr. Cullen shrugged. "I've just arrived and found you sleeping. However, it is a quarter past noon."

"A quarter past noon?" Eva repeated, standing shakily. Her head spun and her stomach growled. What sleep debt she'd accrued the previous night had been paid. "I hadn't realized I..." She stumbled slightly, and put out a reassuring hand when Dr. Cullen made to catch her. "Fallen asleep. Thank you, Dr. Cullen."

"I didn't expect you today, Evangeline. To what do I owe the pleasure?"

The doctor guided Eva to the bed, fearful that she may complete her fall, and she sat, her head still swimming. She took her mother's hand in her own, and sighed when she found no change in the temperature or dryness. "Just checking up, I suppose…" Eva laughed when the real reason came back to her. "Well, our heater stopped working last night. The house is almost to the freezing point." Eva looked outside at the falling dots of white as she said this.

Dr. Cullen reviewed some of the nurse's reports in silence. He didn't find the predicament as entertaining. "Do you have someone you may call upon?" he asked, feigning indifference.

Eva removed her hand when Dr. Cullen began adjusting Mrs. Forest's IV. "Well, I was planning on asking my employee to take a look at it. Ron Cooper works for me part time."

"Does this happen often? The heater breaking, I mean."

Eva combed her thick (and now tangled) hair with her fingers. "Oh, yeah. The thing's as old as… well, I think my grandfather installed it when he wired the place for electricity. When I was growing up, it stopped working at _least_ once every winter. But my dad was good with those sorts of things…," she trailed off, not wanting to expand the topic.

The doctor nodded in acknowledgment. "And the antique shop? The system stopped working there as well?"

Eva had only mentioned the convent location of her home once to Dr. Cullen, months ago. She was surprised he had remembered such a detail. Nevertheless, she shook her head, brushing some of her mother's long, snowy hair behind her ear. "Father installed a new thermostat down there… business can't stop just for the cold, you know?"

Dr. Cullen went through the automatic motions of updating Eloise's patient sheet as he listened to Eva. "I do. Speaking of business, do you remember that watch I mentioned a few weeks ago?"

Eva nodded, immediately intrigued. "The broken one?" she asked, rising from the bed. Her head spun, but she managed to stay upright without becoming dizzy.

"The very one." Dr. Cullen crossed the room to access his black briefcase, which was sitting on the pastel couch under the mounted TV. "Esme reminded me about it this morning."

Eva watched him curiously. "Is that why you were running late this morning?"

The doctor smiled at her perception. "Partly." He produced a small, ebony pocket watch from the case, and then dropped it into Eva's waiting palm.

"Ah," said Eva in wonder, cautiously turning the trinket around in her fingers. "How old is this exactly?" Her specialty, as well as her mother's, was repairing gear-works.

"It belonged to my great-great-grandfather in the 18th century. It hasn't worked for years."

Eva gasped, her eyes memorizing every nook and cranny of the delicate antique. How was it possible? "May I…?" She looked up at the doctor, who was watching her, and fingered the clasp of the watch.

"Of course." He watched the girl's expression as she gently unlocked the clasp. Inside, the clock hands were frozen at noon. Or midnight, perhaps.

"This is an interesting design," she said, closing it again and running her thumb over the intricate design of the lid. Gold and silver was inlayed in a strange black metal that she couldn't recognize. The gold and silver wound at symmetrical angles to form a cursive "V".

"Ah, yes. It's exquisitely made. It hasn't worked in over a century, apparently, but I suppose my grandfather just couldn't part with it." A wistful look came into the doctor's eyes, but Eva couldn't take her eyes from the trinket to notice it.

Eva opened and closed the watch one more time, then shook it softly close to her ear. "The problem is defiantly with one of the nuts or gears… I'll have a crack at it tonight, and you can pick it up tomorrow… er, if you want."

Dr. Cullen smiled. "Sounds fine. I'll come by with a blank check and..."

Eva waved a dismissive hand. "No payment is necessary, Dr. Cullen. Our family can't thank you enough for..." She tried not to look at the medical bed, and her eyes met the floor.

"If you insist, Miss Forest."

"I do," she said, gathering her coat and purse from the armchair. She stepped to the bed and lifted her mother's hand to her lips, placing a kiss on her chilly knuckles. "I should get to the shop. See you tomorrow, Doctor."

He reached the door before her and held it open. "Until then, Miss Forest."

Between the pocket watch and the unplanned nap, Eva had forgotten to ask Dr. Cullen about his children...

*E*

"Um... let's go see a movie...?"

Eva bit her lip uncertainly as she drove away from the high school in her Grand AM. Emma had been in unusually high spirits when she picked her up from school, and it worried Eva that she'd be disappointed. She hadn't had time to plan a "fun" event for the two of them tonight.

"A movie?" asked Emma, unimpressed. "Nothing good is out."

"How about a nice dinner? There's that new Italian place on 5th and Main..."

Emma shrugged. "I'm not hungry."

Eva exhaled deliberately. "You're not making this easy, you know."

Emma looked over at her sister and smirked. "I know."

"Ummmm." Eva tapped impatiently on the steering wheel at a red light. "We could have a look at this watch Dr. Cullen asked me to fix. It's back at the shop; I already see the problem..." She chanced a look at Emma's face. "Or... not." She pressed hard on the gas pedal when the light turned green.

They turned into the roundabout, and Eva passed right by the shop. Emma double took. "What'd you do that for?" she demanded, re-buckling her seat belt.

Eva pursed her lips in determination, clutching the wheel as she slipped past cars on the one-way road. "We're _not_ going home until we do something fun."

*J*

The Cullen house was still and quiet – not everyone had returned from school yet, though Renesmee had had a half day. The conversation that she and Esme were having over a game of Monopoly was the only thing breaking the silence.

It was rare that Jasper actually sought to talk to anyone. The reason was simple: He had Alice. She would converse and discuss anything and everything that popped into his head. For hours on end, they would speak about the past, the future, and all things in between. But now, here he was, his fist poised to knock on the door to Carlisle's office.

"Come in, Jasper," Carlisle called.

Jasper sighed, and reached for the knob. Carlisle's office was much like it was in every house they'd owned – tall bookshelves, pictures on the walls, and, of course, the huge mahogany desk in the center of the room. Carlisle sat behind the desk, scrawling rapidly across what appeared to be a medical report of some kind. He stopped only when Jasper took a seat in the chair in front of the desk.

"Can I help you, Jasper?" he asked, twisting down his fountain pen.

Jasper pressed the points of his fingers together as he sat stiffly in the leather chair, his lips forming a straight line. Carlisle watched his "son" with mild worry; Jasper usually shunned concern of any kind, and would not appreciate Carlisle's sympathy.

"Yes, Carlisle, there is something…" Jasper exhaled, low and long. "Alice has gone to Denali."

Surprise washed across Carlisle's face. "Whatever for?"

Jasper shrugged tensely. "She wouldn't tell me. She just left, saying she'd seen all this coming. She said that she'd come back soon… not to follow her… she said…" He sighed sharply. "She wouldn't tell me why."

Carlisle folded his hands on the desktop and leaned forward slightly. "Not to be intrusive, but –"

"We didn't have an argument, if that's what you're asking," Jasper lashed out. His expression was stone cold and stern, his tone curt and harsh. "I just want your advice on how I should go about _retrieving_ her, that's all."

Carlisle recoiled instantly. It wasn't common that Jasper lost his temper so easily. It also wasn't very common that Alice hopped off to Denali for no reason, either. "I apologize for making a hasty assumption. I hadn't heard anything about Alice's departure, so I was ignorant of the situation." Jasper inclined his head slightly, his death-grip on his armrests loosing every so minutely. "Is there anything that she mentioned before she left? What she had seen to make her leave so quickly?"

Jasper's jaw set, and he responded. "She said that her presence would interfere with… an _event_ here. That she was supposed to leave. She also saw herself coming home… but she didn't say much about… _when_." He frowned.

Carlisle rose from his seat and circled the desk. "Well, there isn't much you can do, from my point of view. She obviously left for a good reason – rather, a good reason from her own unique perspective – so there is no point in attempting to reverse her decision. She would never do anything to damage this family… or you, Jasper. I believe you should respect her judgment, and wait for its result."

Jasper was surprised. He'd hadn't expected much… much less _that_. He stared through Carlisle for a few long moments, absorbing all that he had said. It seemed reasonable… but it wasn't what Jasper wanted to hear. He stood abruptly, nodding to Carlisle. "Thank you, Carlisle. I'll think about it."

"Jasper, could I ask you a favor?" Carlisle asked, when Jasper's hand was on the doorknob again.

"Anything," he replied.

"I told a certain shop owner that I'd pick up my charge tomorrow, but I've just made plans with Dr. Cooper to stay late at the hospital. Would you drop by _Forest's Antiques_ for me in the morning?"

* * *

><p><strong>Reviews are my lifeforce.<strong>

**-Scarlet**


	3. Chapter 3: Day Three

**Thank you, greysister22 and golden-priestess for your Alerts/Favorites. Your interest has motivated me to upload the next chapter. Thank you!  
><strong>

**Hope you enjoy it... Jasper finally meets the heroine of our story.**

**-Scarlet**

* * *

><p><strong>Day Three: Saturday<strong>

*E*

It was a cold, snowy Saturday morning. The only sound in the drafty antique shop was the tapping and squeaking of chalk across a blackboard, and the occasional, muttered curses from the same origin. Eva's eyes avidly scanned the leaves of an old, yellow-paged Dickens, darting up to glance out the whiteout glass storefront every so often. The harsh wind blew the gentle flakes of snow around violently, and it howled against the old building with a vengeance. The heating system answered the challenge, wheezing and screaming with a little more dedication than usual. The chair Eva sat upon behind the front counter creaked with only the slightest provocation, and had several holes in the ancient, velvet seat cushion.

"Eva…"

Eva clutched the sides of the hardcover book as the heroine was marched up to the guillotine...

"Eva…"

This part always put her on edge, even though she'd read it at least a hundred times...

"Eva!"

The book clattered to the floor, the withered binding nearly tearing in two. Eva stooped to pick it up, and hit her forehead on the edge of the oak counter on the way down. "…Ouch. What is it, Emma?" She placed the weathered tome on the counter and turned toward the back corner of the large room, where her younger sister was grinding away at a small, standalone blackboard, with the stub of a piece of yellow chalk.

"This makes no sense…" With her back still turned, the girl gestured vaguely to the yellow-smeared blackboard. If one were to look very closely, one might distinguish separate letters and numbers between the black and yellow of the vertical battlefield.

"What makes no sense?" Eva asked, akimbo before the board.

Emma took her stub of yellow, and drew a line underneath one particularly sloppy smudge. A small cloud of yellow drifted down to the floor to join the steadily growing pile of yellow chalk soot. "The second root of this equation. However many times I plug it back in to the original, the answer comes out wrong. _Yet_, the first root comes out _right_..." The girl then held her chin in her hand; her fingers aligned perfectly with the yellow fingerprints on her chin and cheek.

Eva sighed quietly and reached for the chalk. Emma handed it to her, and then dusted her own hands on the front of her jeans…, which were yellow. "Em, this root is irrational. It's extraneous. Not all answers of multi-root equations can be applied. So we just," – she drew an unusually straight line through the mess of the second root solution – "ignore it completely."

Emma's jaw set. "Then why did I work it _out_?" she deliberately slowed each word.

Eva smiled, dropping the ruined chalk into a small wastebasket and taking a new, long piece from a small box of school supplies sitting on the shelf of a nearby bookcase. Handing it to Emma, "You worked it out _so_ you could find that it was extraneous. There's only one answer to this problem, and _that_ one is it." She pointed her finger at the rational solution.

Emma stared at her sister's finger for a long time, and then her shoulders slumped. "Algebra's a _bitch_," she muttered under her breath.

Eva, however, had heard her. "Emmeline!" she gasped, withdrawing her hand, "Language!"

Emma simply shrugged and turned back to her work. Upon her sister's nonchalant response, Eva slunk back to the front counter, frowning. If she had pressed the matter, Emma would have accused her of acting like their mother, Eloise. Whenever this occurred, the look in her sister's eyes cut Eva like knives. She didn't need that right now. She was still recovering her wounds from her most recent attack. Moreover, it had seemed that the previous evening (an extravagant, _$40_ dinner) had done nothing for Emma's bitter grapes.

Eva returned to her novel, with even more interest than before.

Apparently, she didn't hear the bell ring on the door to signal a customer, or even feel the cold burst of wind and snow from the outside.

Jasper wrinkled his nose against the putrid smell of decaying wood and paper. Even the tinkling doorbell pierced his ears. Everything about the shop was repulsing. Letting the door close behind himself, he kicked some frozen snow from his boots (it would never melt any other way).

He glanced over the room: there was a young female human behind a makeshift counter, her face buried in an old copy of _A Tale of Two Cities_. And, to his surprise, at the far end of the store in a corner, was his classmate from Algebra II – Emmeline Forest – scraping away at a blackboard with a piece of chalk. He should have realized that it was where she would be… the name of the store is her surname, after all.

Wanting to desensitize himself to the rotting atmosphere of the antique shop, Jasper took a deep breath through his nose.

Maybe, _just_ maybe, if he hadn't done this, there could have been a chance for him. _Maybe _if the ceiling fan above her head wasn't on so high, the whole thing could have been prevented. And maybe, if Carlisle had not sent him there that specific day, everything would have been fine.

But there was no chance. And it couldn't have been prevented. And everything was definitely… not… fine.

The scent invaded his nostrils, and a firestorm exploded in his throat. His back went instantly rigid, and his hands balled into fists, trembling at his sides. His whole body tensed for whatever would happen next.

_Attack, attack, take, drink, kill. _

The incredibly peppermint smell saturated his senses, intoxicating him.

_Attack, kill, win – stop the inferno._

Stricken with instantly insatiable thirst, his eyes faded to a deep, bottomless black.

_Attack, attack, drink, kill, kill, kill._

Venom flooded into his mouth, salivating for the succulent meal that sat there… so very helplessly.

_Drink, drink, take, kill. KILL!_

His foot took a step forward without his mind even telling it to. Then another. He was standing right in front of the counter now, his eyes fixed upon the recklessly delicious human girl there. Her hazel eyes flitted rapidly across whatever words she was reading, completely oblivious to his presence.

It would be so easy… no – _too_ easy, simply to take her life. Drink her blood. Suck her dry.

Jasper felt himself smile… or was he barring his teeth? It had been _far_ too long to know for certain.

Suddenly aware of the presence, the girl jumped. "Oh!"

The book fell from her hands, but did not hit the floor. Jasper, already halfway to her neck, caught the falling object instinctively. Once the girl's eyes found him there, abruptly so close, a spike of alarm shot off her like a flying arrow. Jasper stood slowly, as not to startle her – just as a hunter would cautiously approach a deer, to avoid scaring it away. It would never do if his prey was running and screaming. This was no hunt; this was a pleasant snack he'd stumbled across.

"I'm afraid you're lost your place," he said amiably, holding the book out for her to take.

Her alarm turned into confusion. "Er… oh. Thank you," she said, taking it.

The mouth-watering blood rose to her cheeks, temping Jasper on a completely new level.

Eva, however, was befuddled by the strange man who caught her book. He'd simply materialized out of nowhere. Was the guillotine really so mesmerizing? She noticed, with ever-increasing confusion, that the young man's eyes were completely black – the light glinted off their dull, glossy surfaces. She looked closer to find any trace of dark brown, or even dilated pupils, but found nothing. His jaw was set, his expression severe, his hands balled tightly at his sides, and his back rigid – as if an Ensign waiting for a return salute from an Admiral. His light green L.L. Bean jacket had specks of snow on it – still in crystallized form, strangely enough – as well as the hems of his jeans and the tops of his black boots. He was almost… frightening.

Eva shivered, as if the cold wind had sucked every ounce of warmth from the shop.

Just then, Jasper felt shock and irritation radiate from the back of the room. Glancing over, he saw his dim-witted classmate storming toward the counter. A witness that he'd failed to account for. He quickly took his place in front of the counter, leaving his prey behind it. The situation would require tact.

For the sake of good business, Eva brushed her concerns aside and smiled kindly. "Is there anything I can help you with?"

"You…? What are _you_ doing here?" Emma appeared by her sister's side defensively, her chin out and her hands on her hips.

Jasper's black eyes flickered to Emma for only half a moment. "Emmeline Forest. How strange to see you outside of school..."

Emma scoffed, straightening her back. "Yeah – _strange_. What do you want, anyway?"

Eva cleared her throat nervously. She had the strange urge to keep her eyes trained on the man, as if looking away for one second would be… _harmful_ somehow. "Emma, don't be _rude_," she hissed.

Jasper's mind strategized. He would have to deal with the student one way or another. On one hand, he could make the situation look like a double homicide, or, on the other hand, he could distract the girl somehow. Spare her life, in favor of the other. In any case, for the time being, he must appear inexplicably normal. So as not to ruin his chance. "Don't worry. I was rude to her at school on Thursday – she's only returning the favor. The name's Jasper Cullen, ma'am." Jasper tipped his head in greeting. If he offered a hand, he was afraid he wouldn't be able to remove it from her skin.

Eva's eyebrows rose. So… here was a Cullen, in the flesh, right in her shop. But… Emma had said that Jasper was in her math class. How could it be? He didn't _look_ seventeen – more like twenty. Eva wondered why this would be, and what troubles he'd seen to have lost his youth so quickly. "I'm Emma's sister, Evangeline. It's good to meet you, Jasper."

"Likewise, Evangeline." Jasper tried not to smile (their teeth scared the humans silly), but he couldn't help it. His prey not only had a pretty face, but also, a pretty name.

Emma disrupted his sinister thoughts, "So... why were you out of school yesterday? The rest of your family came during lunch, but _you_ still weren't there."

Eva wanted to scold her sister for being so rude, but she was curious as well. She remembered that Dr. Cullen hadn't arrived at the hospital until noon, either.

Jasper nearly laughed. Worrying about such trivial matters while her life was in danger! It was hilarity! "Well… some of our family went to visit some friends up North... we stayed to see them off." Completely and utterly normal.

Emma's mouth formed an "o" but no sound came forth. A silent revelation flashed across her face, and flickered in her emotions. "...Right," she said uncertainly. "So... you didn't come here just to harass us, did you?"

Eva kicked her sister's shin, and Emma gritted her teeth, throwing Eva a harsh look. Jasper didn't notice; his eyes were fixed solely upon Eva. He had made up his mind, and now was his time to act. But, as always, he remembered: _normal_. "No, actually. Carlisle said that you had something for him to pick up, so..."

It took Eva a few seconds to connect the forename to Dr. Cullen's. It was such an unusual one, and she'd never known anyone else with it. "Of course. That pocket watch turned out to be quite a challenge. It must have been made in another country, because I'm not familiar with the design at all," said Eva, shuffling around in some papers on the counter. "It must be in the office. Follow me, Jasper."

Jasper's thirst rejoiced. His prey was inviting him to move in for the kill. It was as amusing as it was convenient.

Emma cast a sour look after Jasper and Eva, as they made their way to the small shop office. Eva felt a little ill at ease with her back turned to Jasper, for some odd reason. Shaking the strange feeling, Eva opened the glass door and propped it ajar with the old garden gnome. She flicked on the light switch, and tried to ignore the embarrassing pile of sleeping bags and bed sheets in the corner. The upstairs apartment had become too cold for inhabitation the previous night.

The small office only consisted of a long, pine desk shoved in the corner with a swivel chair crammed behind it, and a small space heater, as there was no ventilation in the cave of a room. For the time being, it was the girls' bedroom.

Jasper, however, noticed none of this. What he did notice was the way her scent filled every available crack in the tiny room almost instantaneously. He noticed how there was a good-sized window that could easily fit two people. He noticed how easy it would be to –

"It's running fine now." Eva took the ebony pocket watch from the desktop. "Well, it may be a bit slow over a long period of time. I just had to fiddle with the works a little… and I tightened the clasp." Turning to Jasper, "It should – Jasper...?"

Jasper stood rigidly in the doorway, his black eyes determined and crazed. It looked as though he'd just seen an underdog team scare a late run from third on the bottom of the ninth. His lips peeled back in a grin… but, Eva couldn't call it a grin… it was more like a… leer. He clutched the outsides of the doorframe as if the office were a black hole, sucking him in.

Concerned, Eva rounded the desk slowly, the watch clutched to her chest. "Is there... something wrong?"

His pitch-black eyes turned down upon her then. A trait from her mother's side made her a few inches shorter than Emma. She noticed how much taller Jasper was than her – something she'd overlooked before.

Jasper took a sharp breath through his nose. Now was the perfect moment – witness be damned. He released one of his hands from the death-grip on the doorframe, and reached out to her… as if to take the trinket from her hand…

Suddenly, a voice from behind – rather pleasant for the dire circumstances – shouted, "Jasper!" A steel-like arm wrapped around his neck, and pulled him back from the doorway. It stayed strapped to his shoulders as he struggled to shake it off. "How funny running into _you_ here, brother!"

_Let me go, Edward,_ Jasper thought, still fighting, _I want her!_

To Eva, it looked like an ordinary, roughhousing half-hug between brothers. She hesitated, watching curiously.

If Edward couldn't keep his grip, Jasper would spring for the girl...

Thankfully, the tense situation was interrupted. "Jeesh, are you guys done yet?"

Jasper stopped thrashing, and Edward gave a quiet sigh of relief. Eva breathed again. "Emma," she said, turning to her, grateful for the disturbance, "how's homework coming?"

While both the girl's backs were turned, Edward released Jasper and gave him a stern look. Jasper glared back. _You won't stop me._

"I will. You can't do this," Edward said, too fast and too soft for human ears.

"Well… it would be better if I wasn't getting an evil aura from _Gifted and Talented_ math wiz, here." Eva flung a hand at Jasper bitterly.

Edward smiled, through it all. "Sorry, E. We were just leaving, anyway."

Eva and Emma both double-took at the newcomer as if he'd just burst into spontaneous flames. He'd just used the shortened version of Emma's name that _only_ their father had used. Not even Eloise used that nickname for her daughter. Emma's eyes widened, and then her teeth clicked together. "Do I _know_ you?" she demanded.

"Er, uh," Edward stuttered, realizing his mistake. He seized Jasper's arm when his murderous thoughts flared up. "Probably not… er, you know my sister – Bella."

"Oh, yeah," Emma sighed; only slightly convinced. She occasionally sat with the shy, brown-haired sophomore at lunch. "She's a nice girl…"

"Um… we really have to go," Edward insisted.

"Oh!" Eva said, suddenly aware again. "Here you go." She offered the watch to Edward, who had already reached out to snatch it. "I hope it works half as well as it did two hundred years ago," she said, chuckling nervously.

"Right. Thanks."

"Drive safely, now. And it was nice meeting you, Jasper!" she added quickly.

However, Edward had already pushed him out the door.

Emma scoffed as she watched the brothers disappear out into the thickly falling snow. "Wako. Totally freakish. Bella's the only normal one." She paused and held her chin for a moment. "I guess Emmett's OK, too… he's in Algebra with me, and I haven't seen him get anything higher than _my_ grades yet."

Eva returned from what seemed like a long journey from outer space. The encounter had been an over-all strange one. "Emma… you should spy on your classmate's grades like that…," she said distantly. "It's rude."

Emma shrugged, "Whatever," and plodded back to the blackboard.

*J*

"Turn the car around, Edward. Do it, NOW!"

Edward gritted his teeth and kept his 77mph pace down the freeway, south. "No, Jasper. Think rationally for a –"

"I SWEAR I WILL TEAR THIS DOOR OFF. DO IT _NOW_!"

He eased off the gas as the needle of the speedometer approached 85. Going any faster in the snow would be hazardous… to the humans. "You know why I can't do that. Think of Alice, Jasper," he pleaded.

"Screw Alice," he growled, clutching the dashboard of the Volvo perilously tight. "_She_ screwed _me_ when she went to _Denali_."

Edward sighed. "She called, Jasper – that's how we found out. It wouldn't have been pretty if I hadn't –"

"I DON'T CARE! Take me back, bastard!"

Edward's knuckles turned snow-white on the wheel, and he threw a concerned glance to Jasper. His tar black eyes were feral and full of hatred. In a sudden moment of epiphany, he found that he'd seen that look in his own eyes before… through _Jasper's_ mind.

The day he'd met Bella.

"Jasper, I'm the first to understand what you're going through. And I –"

"Stay out of my head, Goddamn it!"

Edward let out a breath, and fell silent. As the car speed through the limitless cloud of white snow, Jasper's thoughts swirled around the girl at the antique shop. He saw how strongly her blood called to him. Not as powerfully as Bella's had sang to himself, granted – but strong, regardless. However, with Jasper's past taken into consideration, the situation was even worse than his had been.

Just a few miles from home, Edward broke his brother's relentlessly homicidal thoughts. "She's your 'singer', you know. Just like Bella was for me."

Jasper had buried his head between his knees, and covered it with his arms. Nevertheless, Edward's murmur had been as clear as a shout through a megaphone. "I know," Jasper mumbled.

Edward didn't bother parking the Volvo in the garage when they arrived home, so he left it running in the driveway. They sat there for several long minutes – Edward, waiting and listening for Jasper's mind to stop scheming; and Jasper, scheming to wait until Edward stopped listening.

They eventually reached an impasse.

"You can do what I did, Jasper," said Edward, in answer to Jasper's conflicted thoughts. "You can ignore it. Try as hard as you can to fight it."

Suddenly, Jasper's door was open, and he was 100 feet from the car. He stood with his back to the house, facing the forest surrounding it. Snow and wind whipped at his hair and his clothes, but he didn't seem to notice.

Edward cut the engine, and pocketed the keys as he shut his door, then Jasper's. Even through the howling wind and storm, he heard Jasper's murmur, "When your back is turned, Edward Cullen, I _will_ kill her. There's no way I can fight it – don't you see? There's no way I can _ignore_ it.

"Evangeline Forest _will_ die."

*E*

"So... I never got your opinion on Jasper Cullen today, Eva. Di'ya like 'im?" Emma piped, curling up in her sleeping bag in the downstairs office. The weather had calmed down by the fall of night, but, without the heater functioning, the upstairs apartment was still as cold as Antarctica. The sisters had called it a night around nine o'clock – too cold for much else.

Eva blinked a few times to adjust to the darkness, and pulled her thermal blanket higher to her chin. The space heater in the corner of the small room whirred happily. She shrugged, at both the question and the cold. "What do you mean 'like'? He's seventeen... isn't he?" she added hesitantly.

"'Course he is. He's in my grade. Besides, I saw how wide your eyes were when you looked at him..." She laughed out loud. "I guess he _is_ kinda cute."

Eva gasped, reaching a hand out to whack her little sister playfully. "Don't say things like that! And... you don't know what my eyes were wide from…"

Emma laughed at her. "Whaaaaa... d'ever..." she yawned. "You'll realize your attraction at the very last moment... when it's too late..."

Eva grunted. "You sound like some fluffy, afternoon soap."

"The whole woooorllllld's an fluffy soap!" she exclaimed tiredly.

Eva sighed, turning over to her other side. "Goodnight... my silly, delusional sister."

Outside, in the cold air of the still night, a vampire sat in the alley with his back to the brick wall of _Forest's Antiques_. The creature had its head leaned back against the solid barrier, hearing the voices from inside with the clearest of precision. His hands itched to seize the woman behind the barrier, his lips ached to kiss her neck… then part them to take the sweet liquid from beneath the tender flesh there.

But he couldn't... because another vampire stood above him – guarding her from him... and him from her. The second vampire had not the power to remove the first from his station under the window, nor the intention.

They were simply there... one waiting... and one watching.


	4. Chapter 4: Day Four

**Thank you, Dalonega Noquisi, for that heart-warming review; that's **_**exactly**_** what I'd hopped to achieve with this story. You keep me writing!**

**Here's the next chapter. I double-timed this one, so... mind the typos. Hope you like it.**

**-Scarlet**

* * *

><p><strong>Day Four: Sunday<strong>

*E*

"Jeez, this stupid blizzard won't leave us alone!" Emma cried, worming deeper into her warm sleeping bag.

Eva, scribbling tiny numbers on something at the desktop, hummed in agreement.

The space heater in the office whirred on drearily in the corner of the room. Eva sat at the small office desk, balancing the checkbook again. A mug of jet-black coffee sat on an old copy of the yellow pages, next to the huge pile of paperwork, next to the dinosaur computer monitor. Eva stuck her pencil behind her ear and began tapping on the palm-sized, Texas Instruments calculator to her right.

Emma stared bordly out the small office window, which was completely white. It was Sunday, so the shop would be closed all day. And, being in a class-3 blizzard, Irondale didn't have much Sunday entertainment. Unless you counted the ladies club afternoon Bingo tourney at the First Baptist Church, that is. Sighing, the girl shifted her gaze from the bleached window to stare at the glowing red heating coils of the space warmer.

*J*

"How long has it been?"

Rosalie looked at her watch for the eleventh time that half-hour. "Nine hours, twenty three minutes."

Emmett sighed in response, reloading his assault rifle with the right bumper on his controller. "I'll give him six more hours... then we've _got_ to do something."

Rosalie turned the 121st page of _The Scarlet Letter_. "You heard Carlisle – we're not going to do _anything_. Besides, Jasper is better off with things like this if he's left to himself."

Emmett leaned forward in his seat. "I know but" – he strafed forward to hit an Elite with the blunt of his pistol – "Edward's already harped on him enough and" – he switched weapons to a plasma rifle and sprayed across a line of Grunts – "Alice isn't contacting us and" – he threw a plasma grenade onto the back of an unsuspecting Hunter and jumped out of the blast-radius – "we should make sure he didn't buy plane tickets to Italy or something stupid like that..."

Rosalie scoffed and turned another page. "Don't be silly. Edward will take care of it. And Alice would never let something like that happen."

Emmett punched the glass of a window as he jumped through it, ambushing the sleeping grunts on the other side. "Uh-hu, sure. You said that last time..."

Rosalie's head shot over to his direction. "What do you mean 'last time'?" she snapped.

"There!" Cortana shouted. "On the landing above us!"

"Aw, crap!" Emmett jumped away, but it was too late. The plasma smoke from the grenade on his shoulder blocked half of his view. After the explosion, the camera zoomed out on the bloody, lifeless body of the Master Chief.

Emmett growled and flung his controller across the room. "You know I can't play on 'Legionary' without Jacob!"

Rosalie caught the white handle of the Xbox controller just an inch before it struck the white drywall of the opposite wall.

"Don't play Halo when you're worked up, babe. It's not good for Esme's psyche." Rosalie threw the controller at Emmett's head, and he caught it without looking.

"Yeah, fine," Emmett grumbled. "Just lemme save it... I want to see how far ol' Jake can get on Level –"

Just then, the 72" plasma screen went pitch-black, leaving only a white, snowy glare from the glass window on the opposite wall.

Emmett's cries of despair filled the house.

*E*

Emma thought her hearing was going. Slowly – like an old, dying man – the warm air coming from the space heater whispered quieter and quieter, until finally silence remained. The neon-red heating element slowly faded back to a cold, dead brown.

"Eve... Eva... Eva... Eva... Eve..."

Eva dropped her pencil impatiently and glared down at her sister. It was at least the tenth time she had forgotten the remainder of thirteen and seven. "What, Em? You _know_ I have to concentrate with numbers!"

Emma dug a hand out of her sleeping bag and pointed at the heater. "I think it died."

"Hu?" Eva leaned over to get a better look at the machine. She rolled her chair out from the small desk and stood in front of it. "Oh." She knelt in front of it and flicked the power switch on and off several times. Soft sparks could be heard from somewhere inside the contraption. "I don't think it's supposed to do that…"

"Arrrg!" Emma groaned, plastering her face into her pillow.

"What are you? A pirate?"

There was an angry reply, muffled by the pillow.

Eva laughed, crawling on her knees to her sister. She pulled the pillow off her face. "What was that, _Bonnie_?"

Emma's face was calmly composed, obviously a ruse. "I said, 'I don't wanna be a pirate.'"

Eva burst out laughing. The combination of her sister's antics and the stress of running a business were the primary causes. She laughed until her sides ached, and Emma could help but chuckle too.

"Everything we have is junk!" Emma said as she snickered, and Eva laughed at that too.

"Everything we have… is _old_," Eva corrected, trying to get her breath back. She sat up and whipped a tear from the corner of her eye.

Emma smiled at her sister, who was now fully recovered. "You know, that's the first time you've laughed like that in a while..."

Eva looked at her sister for a long moment. "I know," she said sadly. Then, she smiled and put a hand on Emma's shoulder. "That's the first joke you've told in a long time."

Both the sisters sighed simultaneously, and then laughed because of it.

*J*

"Jeez, Jazz... take it easy on the critters, will ya?"

Emmett watched as his brother stood from his neigh-unrecognizable prey, wiping his hands on his white shirt. He didn't even seem to notice the handprints of blood.

"You're only here because of Edward's paranoia, Emmett. Don't feel inclined to speak." Jasper threw a pointed look at him, and stalked off in a southern direction. He still felt the echo of _her_ scent in his mind, and the animal blood he consumed did little to slake that lust.

"Uh, _correction,_" Emmett said, putting up a declaring finger as he followed Jasper. "I'm here because Rosalie had one of her crazy moon swings... you can't predict them, you know?"

Jasper stopped dead in his tracks and spoke harshly over his shoulder. "Do _not_ pretend as though you don't know what's happening here, _Emmett_." He spun around to glare at Emmett. "You know as well as Edward that she would already be _dead_ if _you_ weren't here to stop me."

Emmett didn't speak; he shuffled his feet. "Man, you know this happens to everyone... like I told Edward, there's just that one time –"

"_You?_" Jasper demanded, angry. "Who are you to talk? The first time this happened to _you_, you did the sensible thing!" Jasper gestured to his brother curtly, and waited for a reply.

Emmett had none. "I'm… just trying to back Carlisle up on this one, Jazz. It's nothing personal."

"And your personal opinion would be that I should _remove the problem_ from existence?"

Emmett didn't say anything, but his dominant emotion was consent.

Jasper growled deeply and swung his fist around at an old oak tree. The wood splintered under his blow, and the high branches rustled when a snapping sound came from the heartwood. Overcome by the conflict he was feeling, Jasper leaned against the tree with his forehead on his arm. He sighed, despondently. "Why would Alice leave at a time like this?" he wondered quietly to himself.

Emmett put his back to the opposite side of the oak, and set his gaze heavenward, as Jasper's was. The low-hanging storm clouds caressed the sky. "I can't change how I feel, Jasper, but I know what the right thing to do would be."

Emmett left his thought hanging, wondering when Edward and Bella would return with Jacob.

*E*

"Again, Ron, I'm so sorry to make you come all the way over on a _Sunday_."

"_It's no problem, really, Eve,_" the young man's voice said over the phone line. "_I'll be there in a jiff. Just hang tight._"

Eva smiled. "Thanks so much. I'll see you soon, then."

"_Yeah, seeya, Eve._"

The line cut into the dial tone, and Eva set the 70's style receiver into the base on her desk. "He's coming!" Eva informed her sister excitedly.

Emma, unfortunately, did not share Eva's enthusiasm. "He's coming. Yay. Is he bringing enough food for the children?" she asked sweetly, sarcastically. She pretended to gag on her words as she turned another page of last-month's Pottery Barn catalog.

Eva frowned at her sister's attitude, and walked over to look out the window. As the morning had passed, the afternoon had become quite clear of snow. "Oh no, Emma, don't be appreciative. I've only just asked a paid employee to come over on a day-off to fix the power he doesn't even own. No, that's not selfless at all."

Emma's head jerked up. "Oh, ho!" she teased, "I see what's goin' on here!"

Eva flushed, realizing her mistake. "Don't be silly, Emma. It's not like that at all." She put her hand on the ice-cold glass of the window and watched condensation outline her fingers.

The teenager shrugged, dropping it only for Eva's sake. "Fine... _be_ that way."

The young Mr. Cooper arrived fifteen minutes later, with a toolbox under his arm and a smile on his face. His hobby was fixing up cars, so he knew a little about electrical work. He wore at least half-a-dozen sweaters and coats, but, in his mind, the trip was worth the cold.

"Hey, Eve," he said at the door, kicking the snow from his boots onto the doormat. "I've come to save the day."

Eva chuckled into her hand and waved him inside. "I can't thank you enough, Ron. I don't think we would've lasted much longer."

Ron smiled at her as he passed by into the room, and watched her back as she closed the door and relocked it. From middle school, Ron Cooper had had one ambition. That ambition was Evangeline Forest. He'd never had the nerve to ask her out, though he'd sat with her at lunch for every day of high school. And he'd never had the gut to drop a hint, even though he'd taken classes that were too far above his level just to sit by her. He had attended Edgar Forest's funeral with his family; however, his eyes had been on his grown-up high school crush, fresh back from college, rather than the casket. In his case, the saying, "Absence makes the heart grow fonder," was true to a painful extreme.

"So... where's my victim? Oh, hey, Emma."

Emma had just shuffled out of the office, wrapped in three flannel sheets. She rubbed her nose, which was red from cold. "Hey, _Ron_." She'd always had to tendency to pronounce his name curtly. "You took your sweet time."

Ron rolled his eyes. "Great to see you too, Emma."

"You may remember that the power's split upstairs and down," Eva said, ignoring their banter, per usual. "The heater died upstairs yesterday, and now the power's out down here, too." She gestured around, sighing.

"Yeah," Emma snuffled. "Welcome to our own personal Winter Wonderland."

"Er, so... you guys slept down here last night?" Ron asked, pocking his head into the cluttered office.

Emma glanced back at him before plopping down into the chair behind the counter. "Lovely, ain't it? It's The _Ritz_, I tell ya." She laid her head on the cold wood of the counter and faked a snore.

Eva pretended not to hear her; she felt responsible for their misfortune, and thus, guilty. "We can check upstairs first. If you want to, Ron."

"Yeah, sure."

"Let me just grab my coat."

Ron winced. "It's that bad?"

Eva laughed humorlessly. "Unfortunately... yes."

The two young adults were huddled in the apartment's small hallway five minutes later, both examining the boiler heater in the hall-closet. The upstairs was ominously quiet and empty with all the appliances off, as they had shut off all the breakers to deduce the problem.

"I'm sure that this is some old equivalent of a fuse box, but what the _hell_?" Ron said, frustrated. He fiddled with a frayed wire that protruded from a small opening.

"Well… if you're right, then we just need a new wire here, right?" Eva commented, squeezing by Ron to point at the damaged copper wire.

Ron stood his ground as he felt Eva's body heat brush against his arm. This was the part he hated most: her complete obliviousness. "Uh... uh, yeah. That'd be the problem. You just" – he gestured vaguely to the heater, looking down at Eva all the while – "put it... yeah, right there."

"Well, then." Eva stepped back, shrugging. "I guess I need to make a run down to Ace, hu?"

"Er, we can go now, if you want."

*J*

Jacob stared out of the window of the fast-moving car, watching but not seeing. He knew that the pack back in La Push needed him, but he needed to be with Ness more. _Poor Leah... but I guess the good of the many outweighs the good of the few..._

"Or the one," Edward finished, smiling.

Jacob scoffed, pulling away from the window. "You nerd."

"Jacob," Bella warned, casting him a look from the front seat. "It's almost over." She sighed. The tension in the Volvo, with two vampires and one werewolf crammed in one vehicle, was almost tangible.

"This won't happen a lot; me leaving all the time," Jacob promised. "The pack just got jumpy, that's all."

"With good cause," Edward remarked. "If there's one thing to not take lightly – it's the Volturi."

"What could they possibly want?" Bella wondered for the hundredth time, watching the snowy road ahead of them.

"Nothing good," Jacob said gravely. "Or they're just trying to intimidate us."

"The Volturi don't sent _three_ of their key members just for intimidation, Jacob," Edward warned.

Jacob sighed heavily, rubbing the tiredness from his face. He hadn't slept for days, being so far away from his imprint. "I guess we'll find out eventually..."

* * *

><p><strong>Fellow Halo fans! Did you recognize the level Emmett was playing from the first game?<strong>

**I'm working on the next chapter, so bear with me.  
><strong>

**-Scarlet**


	5. Chapter 5: Day Five

**Sorry for the delayed update. I had a small scrape with the Volturi... *straightens disheveled collar* ...but I traded Alice for permission to continue this story. Poor Alice… *shrugs***

**Thank you, Dalonega Noquisi, DWPrincess29, and cHoCoLaTe-RuM** **for your reviews. It's great to see this story getting some feedback.**

**Enjoy this new chapter.  
><strong>

**-Scarlet**

* * *

><p><strong>Day Five: Monday<strong>

*E*

The upstairs heater whirred happily, as the girls sat down to breakfast. The milk had gone bad in the five and a half hours it took Ron to fix the fuse to the heater, so Emma was forced to drink cream-less coffee. Still in her PJ's, she glared across the table at her sister, who was glaring back.

"You haven't changed your mind, have you?"

"No," Emma snapped.

"Do I have to force you?"

"I'll resist," Emma countered.

"Even if I have this?" Eva said smugly, motioning to the box of Lil' Debbie's Christmas Tree Cakes in front of her. The winter season never went by until Emma had devoured at least ten boxes herself.

Emma's eyes hesitated on the jolly, 2-dimentional snowman that waved to her from the front of the box. Then, her eyes narrowed back on her sister's unmoving expression. "...Yes."

Eva sighed and leaned forward on her elbows, rubbing her forehead with both hands. "Emma, you _have_ to go to school. It's Monday."

Emma crossed her arms indignantly. "There's no _law_."

"There should be," Eva grumbled, sipping her coffee, "to manage ingrates like you."

"Don't call me an ingrate," Emma muttered, gazing at Lil' Debbie's smiling face.

"Don't act like one."

Emma scowled and ignored her sister. She lifted her mug to her lips, taking a swung of her instant coffee. She swallowed thickly, grimacing. "Blaaah!"

Eva shook her head. Emma had never refused to go to school on her watch before, and she didn't have the faintest idea of how to contend with the stubborn teenager.

Minutes later, after Emma had finished picking every sesame seed off her everything-bagel, Eva set her coffee down and folded her hands on the table. "Fine," she said.

Emma looked up. "'Fine' what?"

"You get to stay home today. Congratulations."

Emma jumped out of her chair in glee, punching the air with her first. "Yeeeeee –!"

"But you have to watch the shop."

Emma froze mid-cheer. "Wha –?"

"I know the electricians need another hour, but after that, I'll open the shop to your management," said Eva formally, taking another sip of her coffee.

Emma smiled deviously, and then lifted her coffee as well. "Electricians," she muttered crossly into her mug, "only here 'cuz _SuperRon_ didn't have the guts to get his hands dirty..."

Eva narrowed her eyes. "That crawl space is hard to get in and out of!"

"Yeah, that's what he said." Emma burst out laughing at her own joke, and slapped her knee shamelessly.

Her sister's face flushed scarlet. "I-I... Th-that's... Emmeline!"

Emma continued to laugh at her sister's abashed face.

After setting Emma up downstairs, Eva returned to the apartment upstairs. She zipped her coat up to her chin as she walked down the hallway; though the heater had run all night, the chill from before still hung in the house.

She put her hand on the doorknob to her and Emma's room, then stopped. She looked behind herself at the closed door across the hall. That door had been somewhat of a painful reminder to Eva... a reminder of why she had returned to Irondale. She turned to face the door, and the crystal knob squeaked when she turned it slowly.

The room was much the same as she remembered it: A large, four-poster bed stood in the middle with floral-patterned curtains hanging around it. Two matching wardrobes stood on the right wall (those old homes never had built-in closets). A nightstand apiece stood flanking the bed, with various trinket of her parent's possession sitting upon them. A small writing desk sat in the far left corner – writing was a dear hobby of her mother's. An old, wicker chair filled the corner near the door, with a reading lamp hanging low over the seat.

Yes, it was the same. _Too_ much the same.

Her mother's jacket laid on the unmade bed, as though she'd forgotten it when rushing out the door. A picture of Eva and Emma's smiling faces sat on her father's nightstand, next to his favorite gold-plated watch. The door of her mother's wardrobe stood open, and a pair of shoes sat on the carpet in front of it. A half-written letter sat on the desktop.

Ignoring all of this, Eva made for the mauve-colored, curtained window on the back wall. She pulled back the curtains, and looked out at the rusty fire escape that led to the alley bellow. She slid open the window, even though the air that flooded the room was frigid.

The cold wind stung at Eva's red cheeks, but her mind was not in the presence. It was trapped in the past... when she used to cower out on the mock-balcony, in order to hide from her mother when she'd done wrong. Before she knew it, Eva's foot was on the windowsill, poised to climb out.

The wind whipped at her loose hair as she stood out on the metal fire escape, and she put a hand up to collect the golden locks. The rusty staircase to the roof was as steep as it had always been, and the latter to the ground below was pulled up and securely locked. She put a hand on the cold rail and looked to the east, toward the busy cul-de-sac in front of the shop. She let the iciness of the metal soak into her hand, until her flesh began to numb.

Her soft sigh drifted away on the wind.

"Look – here's the thing. The price tag says twenty-two, so you pay twenty-two!" Emma exclaimed, pointing at the yellow sticker on the old-style _Ball_ jar.

"All right, little lady... I'll give ya ten," the elderly gentleman rasped, holding up a twenty-dollar-bill.

"OK, old man. Make it twelve, and you've got yourself a deal!" Emma stuck out her hand as the man extracted two one-dollar-bills from his wallet.

"There ya go," he said, placing the twenty-two dollars in Emma's hand. "Twelve dollars!"

"Thank ye very much, mister," Emma said smugly, ringing the cash register open. "Enjoy your purchase," she recited.

"Will do. Have a fine day, now." The bell on the door rang when the man _finally_ left the shop, and Emma leaned her chin on the counter.

"Will do!" Emma chuckled humorlessly. "Will do..."

Just then, Eva opened the door coming from the apartment and closed it behind herself. Her face was glum. "Hey, Em. How's business?"

"It's been the slowest five hours of my _life_," she groaned, closing the register drawer with her pinky. It made a jolly 'ding!' at which Emma scowled.

Eva glanced at her watch, making her way to the door. "It's only been forty-five minutes. Hang in there, OK?"

Emma held up a hand weakly, then sat up when she hear Eva open the door. "Where are _you_ going, Eva?"

Eva tried to act naturally as she straightened her collar. "To... pick up the mail. I forgot to get it on Saturday." The Post Office was within walking distance of the shop, if the weather allowed.

Emma rose a suspicious eyebrow at her sister's behavior, but didn't press for the truth. "OK. Bye, Eva."

"I won't be long," Eva promised, closing the door behind her.

*J*

"Where's Jasper? His scent is hours old in the forest." Edward's face was grave as he waited for Emmett's reply.

Emmett shuffled his feet nervously. "Well..." Before he could reply, Edward had already seen the event in his thoughts.

Just as expected, Edward's face erupted with anger. "You _let_ him leave?" he demanded aggressively.

Emmett took a step back and put his hands up in surrender. "Hey, there wasn't much I _could_ do. He wanted to leave, so he left." He shrugged.

Bella put a calming hand on her husband's shoulder. "Edward, we can track him. He couldn't have gotten very far in such a small time."

Her comfort was wasted on him. "Bella, think of what he could _do_ in such a small time. What he may have already done!"

Rosalie, who stood off to the side worriedly, stepped up. "Let's not stand around worrying, Edward, and actually do something about it. If that girl has any chance to live, then we need to be there to protect her. And Jasper."

A wave of shock went around the room. "Rose...," Emmett said slowly, "are you saying that you _care_ about the human?"

Rosalie, realizing her slipup, put on a stoic face. "No. I only... want to avoid disclosure. You remember how careful we were with Bella." She gestured to their newest family member.

Edward looked down at her, and Bella smiled when she caught his eye. They shared a moment of memories, during which his hand tightened around hers. "Yes." After a moment, "Where's Jacob? I think you'll need him for this one."

*E*

Emma held the tip of the Christmas tree cake between her teeth as she scribbled down a sale on the hand-written record sheet. The three hours that Eva had been gone to "check the mail" had dragged on like a funeral procession. Other than counting and recounting the green bills in the register, Emma had been bored out of her little mind.

The bell on the door chimed when someone opened it. "W'come tu _Fors's Anticks's_," Emma muttered around her treat, not bothering to raise her head.

The husky voice was distinctly male, "Hi, is there an 'Evangeline Forest' here I can talk to?"

When Emma looked up, the dessert dropped from her mouth onto the sale record, and her pencil froze at the top of a _b_. The stranger was tall, dark, and handsome. His lips were pulled into a half-smile, and his white teeth were perfectly straight. He wore an open jacket over his tight beater, and he towered nearly two feet over the helpless girl. His brown, puppy-dog eyes sucked poor Emma into a hypnotic trance. She forgot to breath, and her voice was gasping, "Hey-ya..."

Jacob leaned forward onto the counter, with that smug smirk in place, as the girl gawked at his sublime hotness. "So... is that a 'yes'?" he asked, watching her pupils dilate as her heartbeat took off like an airplane in flight.

"Yes... yes... I mean, no." Emma mentally dispelled her weak, teenaged hormones, and sat up straight in her seat. "No, she isn't. Can I, uh... help ya with something?" She couldn't resist the triple-blink that her eyelids did, and the giddy grin that spread across her face.

"Well... maybe. Are you Emma?"

Her attraction dropped like a wingsuit at 1,000-feet without wings. Her usual, suspicious nature asserted itself. "How do _you_ know my name?" she asked curtly.

Jacob was taken off-guard. He'd thought he was doing quite well. "Er... well, I know some people that you go to school with." He watched her thoughtful expression carefully.

Her wariness ebbed at the thought of being "known at school." She smirked. "OK, mister. What do you need with Eva, anyways?" She crossed her arms.

Jacob knew that the sucking up had come to an end. He cleared his throat with a businesslike manner, and squared his broad shoulders. "I just wanted to give this to her." He slipped a letter from his jacket pocket, and set it on the counter in front of Emma. "Can you make sure she gets it?"

Emma's eyes darted from the blank, sealed envelope to the man's dark face. "...Are you a terrorist?"

He smirked, and turned for the door. "No. I'm just the messenger."

*J*

Night had been descending quicker since the days were becoming shorter.

Though there was no snow in the air, the frigid temperatures would force anyone indoors after a very short period of time. The harsh winter wind blew flurries of fallen snow across the white surface of the ground, piling it up at the trucks of trees. The setting sun retracted its life-giving warmth, wrapping the world in a dark, chilly embrace.

However, none of this bothered him. What he loathed was the twilight sky above him.

He had never had a real opinion of the sky, before his life had actually begun. Before he noticed the smell of roses, instead of only seeing the thorns. Before he'd met Alice. He had never stopped to see the different colors of the sky during respective times before then. Dawn was dawn, and dusk was dusk. A day began, and it soon ended. However, Alice had given him appreciation for the world in which he existed. The daytime sky, the sun, the way the clouds never rested in their eternal march. The night sky, the moon, the way the stars domed the heavens.

But now, he despised the sky. Because it reminded him of her. It reminded him of how she'd left him... with no explanation... in his most darkest hour.

Jasper's swift feet barely left imprints in the powdery snow as he flew across the surface. He wasn't sure where he was running, or where he'd come from. His mind was in a haze of his own design. A mental block he'd invented just for the situation he'd found himself in. He didn't quite let any specific thought enter his head; he carefully guarded his instincts. He was a walking dead... more literally than not.

Then, he saw a light break from the ridge of a snowy hill before him. As he got closer, the scent of the human town became more potent. He stopped running very abruptly, and his feet sank into the knee-deep snow. He stood there for twenty minutes.

Then, as his pace resumed for the lights over the hill, his mental block shattered.

*E*

The Grand Am squeaked to a stop in front of the antique shop, and Eva Forest popped out as soon as the door opened. When she went to walk away, the corner of her coat gave a tug at her body. Growling quietly, she ripped the material out of the door jam and rushed up to the dark, glass storefront. When she pulled on the cold metal handle, she found it locked. She rapped on the glass three times.

Out from the light in the office, came a red-cheeked Emma. She always flushed crimson when she was mad. By the look of her cheeks now, Eva knew she was in for it.

Emma shrugged emotionlessly when she reached the door. Her monotone voice was muffled by the glass that separated them. "We're closed," she said, pointing to the printed paper taped in the window bearing the store hours. "We closed half an hour ago."

"Em, I'm sorry... I just..." Eva sighed, and her voice dropped to a quiet whisper. "I just needed some time with Mom today."

Emma's heart of stone could not be touched. She fogged the window with her breath and began writing "We're closed" with the tip of her finger. The words appeared backwards on Eva's side of the glass.

"_Please_, Em." Eva rested her forehead against the cold barrier. "I'll make it up to you... somehow."

The girls sat silently over a dinner of hot chicken noodle soup. Emma's helping was much saltier than Eva's; she never added water to her Campbell's. Emma stirred her noodles around and around, staring at the golden drops of oil spinning on the surface of the liquid. She hadn't even sung the commercial ditty before she started eating. Eva took small sips of her soup, glancing up at her brooding sister every once in a while.

"So... how was your day? Was it worth ditching school?" she chanced hesitantly.

Emma flashed a scowl. "Are you trying to make a _point_, Eva? If so... _taken_." Her spoon clattered on the side of her bowl when she dropped it carelessly.

Eva bit the inside of her lip. She hadn't meant to let the afternoon slip away from her so quickly, just as always. She tried to stomp out the guilt that made her lip quiver. "I'm so sorry, Emma..."

Emma's chair nearly toppled over when she stood rigidly. "That's all you ever are, Eva. Sorry." She turned and stormed down the hall. Eva winced when she slammed her bedroom door.

Eva held her face in her hands for a while. After the funeral, her one goal that she'd sworn to accomplish had been to take care of Emma. Right then, that goal seemed impossible. Every day Emma would slip a bit further, eventually to a point where Eva couldn't reach her. Just like their mother... slowly slipping away.

She swallowed thickly, quelling the tears that threatened her eyes. She finished her soup, drank a glass of warm water, showered quickly, and brushed her teeth. As she stood in front of the door to her room, she paused before knocking. When she listened very closely, she could hear Emma's quiet breaths between tears. She was crying.

Eva felt her eyes fill with moisture as she turned away. She had never seen Emma cry. Her little sister only cried when she broke her leg jumping over a fence, or when she lost an arm-wrestle with a boy.

Instinctively, Eva opened her parent's door and collapsed on the bed in tears. She could almost hear her mother's voice telling her how silly she was. How she should be closer to Emma _now_ than ever before. How, if she were well, she would force them to make up.

The sage bed sheets muffled her sobs and soaked up her tears.

*J*

Jasper tiptoed across the high peek of a building, just to spring to the roof of another. His quiet footsteps were mute to the occupants of the downtown businesses, and his shadowed figure hidden against the dark evening sky. Once he felt _her_ presence below his feet, he stopped.

Two humans occupied the particular building on which Jasper was perched. Both auras polluted Jasper with their gloom, and a deep frown darkened his face. He silently dropped onto the fire escape on the side of the building, and the darkness of the late hour hid his form from view. He staggered to his knees at the misery that gripped him at such nearness, and he focused hard to rid himself of the foreign emotions. Even so, his heart was heavy with his own grief.

Her scent saturated the place; her heat emanated from the space inside. He crouched low and peered into the window whose curtains had been carelessly left open. The room beyond was uninteresting; nothing of note occupied the space. However, under piles of blanket and sheets on the bed laid the object of his frustrations.

He heard the irregular breathing of her soft crying, saw the way her hands clutched the tear-soaked sheets, and felt the sorrow that haunted her soul. Without breathing, he watched the unchanging scene before him for a full hour.

The only time he moved his crouched posture was to brush away a snowflake that landed on his cheek. The friction that this action produced caused the snow to melt across his cheek. He pulled his hand back, and watched as the moisture quickly refroze on his finger. Perturbed by the irony, he quickly rubbed the frost from his cheek.

Realizing he had let his ability slip, he looked back to the window when he heard a desperate moan. The exasperation he'd felt had been projected to her by accident. He invoked a new feeling in the girl, wanting to correct the mistake.

*E*

Amid her torrent of sorrow, waves of serenity suddenly washed over Eva like a sweet caress. It was a abnormal feeling, after so many hours of sadness. Nevertheless, she sighed at the relief, and let her eyelids drift in tiredness.

"Thank you...," she whispered, just before sleep took her.

* * *

><p><strong>What did you think? Tell me your opinions in a review, and I'll really appreciate the gesture.<strong>

**-Scarlet**


	6. Chapter 6: Day Six

**Thank you for reviewing, cHoCoLaTe-RuM! I couldn't resist using Jacob for my own evil devices. *wink wink* And thanks for the Alert, Penmage007.**

**I wrote this very _early_ this morning, so I apologize beforehand for errors. ****Enjoy this new chapter!  
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**-Scarlet**

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><p><strong>Day Six: Tuesday<strong>

*****E*

Emma's eyes were swollen and red at the breakfast table. She ate two full bowls of dry Cheerios, complained that there was still no milk, and told Eva not to bother driving her to school.

Eva only nodded, and continued to slowly rewash the dishes at the sink. She still couldn't bring herself to confront Emma. She had a headache from lack of sleep, and a stomach ache from lack of appetite. She watched the solid grey sky out the kitchen window for half an hour after Emma slammed the door behind herself. Eva's mind wandered through a numb cloud of thought.

Finally, she tore herself from her station and walked downstairs to open the shop. It was ten minutes before they officially opened, so Eva stole away to the familiar shop next to hers: the bakery. Liz didn't open until nine o' clock, but Eva knew that she'd already be in the kitchens. She glanced at the pale sky as she made her way to Liz's, and her cheeks moistened with the morning mist that hung in the air. She knocked quietly on the glass of the bakery, peering inside.

Liz pocked her head out of the kitchen door, and quickly ran to the window when she saw Eva. Unlocking the door swiftly, she pulled the girl inside. "Eve! Is something the matter?" She held Eva by the shoulders and looked at her from side to side. Liz could always tell when there was trouble, just by someone's expression.

"Well... kind of." Eva sighed. "I just need some advice."

Liz pulled her away from the cold window, and sat her in one of the chairs in the dinning area. Her round, flushed face was full of concern as she held Eva's cold hand in her warm one. "Thank you for coming, Evy. You know that I'm _always_ here for you. Now, what is it?"

Eva looked into Liz's chocolate brown eyes, and forced a small smile. Liz had been very close to her family, so she felt as though her guidance would be most like her mother's. "It's... Emma. She's just so unreachable; I don't know how to... _talk_ her through this. She's just such a..." Eva grasped for words, and then moaned helplessly. "A teenager."

Liz nodded tenderly in understanding. "I know the feeling," Liz sighed, fondly recalling the two daughters that she had raised by herself. They were long gone by then... flow away from the nest. "When my daughters were teenagers, they never opened up about their feelings..."

Eva looked at the tabletop. "I feel like we're drifting apart... or we already _have_."

"Always remember, Eve, that there's nothing stronger than a bond between sisters." Eva looked up when Liz squeezed her hand. "I'm sure there a way to find her again."

*J*

"It's like I don't _know_ her anymore, you know? Like she's not even the _same_ _person_."

Jasper was back in Algebra II, deafly listening to the soulless problems of Emmeline Forest. Granted, he had witnessed her family troubles firsthand the previous evening. But the sound of her _voice alone_ drove him to the brink of insanity.

"She doesn't care, either. All she cares about is Mom, Mom, MOM." Emma cast a sour look to the clock above the front blackboard. "Where's the _damn_ teacher, anyway? Class is starting in _two minutes_!"

Jasper resisted the urge to stuff his textbook in her noisy mouth. Though Mr. Collins did not have permanent seating arrangements, it seemed as though fate had decided that he would sit next to Emma every day. Joshua Barkley, an over-confident senior, had saved the six front desks for his "crew." Tiffany Stockton, the "second most popular" girl in the school (according to the Irondale High newsletter), had arrived early with her hoard of admirers and secured the rest of the available seats. So, there he was, sitting in the far back corner with Emma.

"We can do our classwork, at least. Maybe you can take a nap during class if you finish before the lesson begins," Jasper said dryly, gesturing to the classwork written sloppily on the board.

Emma arched an eyebrow at her strangely talkative neighbor. "And miss the most _exciting_ lesson the world has ever seen? Never!"

Jasper discreetly rolled his eyes as he focused on his notebook. As he finished factoring a negative polynomial, he could feel Emmett's sideways glance on him. Emmett's emotions were highlighted with worry, and sprinkled with guilt. He was mortified for letting Jasper leave the afternoon prior, and he was worried that it may happen again.

A small flair of determination came Jasper's way when Emmett recalled Edward's warning: To _keep_ Jasper in sight every second.

Jasper didn't appreciate his brothers' over-concern. When they'd intercepted him in the forest early that morning before school, he'd known that he was in for a whole new world of surveillance. Rosalie's suspicion was the strongest of all, but Edward's borderline _paranoia_ made Jasper scowl.

What could possibly happen? His mind was set on proving them all wrong: He _was_ able to control himself. Thus, his presence at school that particular day.

Emma muttered to herself as she worked her problems, "Seven plus six is three, carry the one... nine plus eight plus one is eight, carry the one... two plus four plus one is seven... so the remainder is...?"

"Hello, everyone. Class will begin now."

A universal groan went around the room as Mr. Collins closed the classroom door behind himself. Joshua Barkley flipped him off as he walked by, causing all his football-loving friends to chuckle stupidly. Jasper once again asked himself why he was there.

Mr. Collins began erasing the demon-horned and tailed stick figure that someone had chalked on the board. "I hope you all studied your Synthetic Division well last evening, because the quiz is _now_. I trust that a one-day warning was sufficient for your review of the concept. Clear your desks, please."

Emma's jaw dropped, and she turned to Jasper, who was sliding his textbook underneath his desk. "Were _you_ here yesterday?" she hissed lowly.

He shook his head.

"So you _didn't_ get to study?"

He shook his head.

"Then what _the hell _is this?" she demanded, glaring up at the teacher as he passed out the quizzes.

"Can you just _be quiet_?" Jasper pleaded, clicking out more lead in his pencil. "You win some and you lose some."

"But I should have a _chance_ to win some! When the hell did 'No Child Left Behind' go out the _friggin'_ window?" She flailed her arms angrily.

Mr. Collins was almost to their row. "_Shut up,_" Jasper whispered crossly.

Emma's emotions flickered between rage and regret. "This is ridiculous! I'm gonna flunk this class!"

"Shut up!" Jasper yelled. Some heads turned, but most everyone had already started the quiz. Emma crossed her arm and glowered as Jasper regained his composure.

"Mr. Cullen, Miss Forest," the teacher murmured, placing a one-and-a-half page quiz before each of them.

He turned away, but Emma grabbed the sleeve of his ugly brown sweater. "Please, Mr. Collins, I was _absent_ yesterday. I can't take this quiz!" Her round, hazel eyes pleaded with the bitter man as he looked down at her.

"Your lack of attendance to my class does not concern me, Miss Forest. As I have told you many times before, concentration is _key_ in this class if you are to succeed."

Emma's cheeks flushed with annoyance. Her words were forced through clenched teeth, "I can't concentrate on the _friggin'_ material if I'm not _here_ to concentrate on it! _Sir,_" she added when his eyes narrowed.

Mr. Collins pulled his arm from her clutches, and his tone was affronted. "Then I _do_ suggest that you show up for every class, and do not miss out on a grade that you _could_ have." He quickly walked away.

Emma's teeth gnashed against each other as her fists balled on her desktop. She glared at the paper in front of her, hoping it would spontaneously melt into liquid plasma.

Jasper was halfway through the quiz, trying to ignore the intense resentment that emanated from Emma. His lips formed a hard line as he forced himself to concentrate of the easy-A quiz.

Five minutes into time, Emma got a brilliant idea. Mr. Collins sat at his desk, reading a book there, oblivious to the happenings in the far corner of the room. With deliberate slowness, Emma leaned over to peek at Jasper's finished quiz. Taking up her pencil, she scribbled down the answers that Jasper had filled in.

_x + 4... 2x – 11... 25x/7... 2x + 8..._

"What are you _doing_?" Jasper muttered, realizing why Emma kept bowing across the gap between their desks.

She shamelessly cheated off his quiz, not bothering to stop her crime to answer. "I'm doing justice for all oppressed American high school students...," she whispered.

Jasper stopped himself before covering up his answers. The desperation that this puny human felt as she rigorously scribbled copies of his answers was pathetic. As an empath, he had no choice but to understand _exactly_ why she did it. It wasn't for a selfish reason or personal gain... it was for the woman that he'd watched cry herself to sleep. For her sister, Evangeline.

"You'll pay for this, Emmeline," he growled softly, watching her finish plagiarizing his quiz.

She smirked in his direction as she set her pencil down. "I owe you one, Gifted and Talented."

*E*

The door chimed happily as Ron Cooper arrived for work. "Hi, Eve. You're up bright and early," he commented, walking to where she sat behind the counter.

Eva raised her head from her checkbook and chuckled uneasily. Usually, Ron knocked on the apartment door to signal his entrance. "I... had some things on my mind." She closed the finance folder and held it under one arm. "You have the bridge," she said with dry sarcasm, gesturing to the counter before turning for the office.

"Thanks," Ron said, unzipping his coat. He watched Eva walk into the office to replace the file into the cabinet. "Is there... something up?" he asked nervously, taking his place at the counter.

Eva's steps were slow as came back into the room. She tucked her hair behind her right ear with a quick swipe. "No. Nothing important, really." Emma's distant behavior was too personal of a matter to share with Ron.

He sensed her deception, but didn't inquire after it. He knew to keep his distance from Evangeline Forest.

*J*

Edward was hot on Jasper's heels when the lunch bell rang. He fell into step with his brother as Jasper leisurely strolled to his locker. "Can I help you with something?" Jasper asked casually, glancing at his sudden companion.

Edward gave him a sharp look. "I'm only wondering why..." he trailed off, knowing that Jasper already knew to what he was referring.

Jasper kept his thoughts far from Emma. "Why they're serving French fries today instead of tater-tots ?" he quipped, smiling defiantly.

Edward didn't respond to his stubborn remark, but continued to search his mind. Emmett, Bella, and Rosalie met them along the way, and they all entered the cafeteria together. Half the school was already there, filling the large room with their loud chatter. After purchasing their lunches from the food line, they sat down at their usual table.

Emmett popped a piece of gum in his mouth to appear as though chewing his food. Rosalie tore open a salt packet and poured it on her burnt fries. Bella tipped a bottle of water to her sealed lips. Edward tore a piece from his dry biscuit. But Jasper did none of this; he watched the human that sat alone at an empty table.

"Why was she absent yesterday, Edward?" Rosalie muttered into a napkin, pretending to wipe her mouth.

He smirked, glancing in Emma's direction. "She ditched."

Bella gave him a fond look, interlacing their fingers beneath the table. "I've been told that it's healthy every now and again."

Jasper tried to block the flux of affection that the moment provoked between the lovers. He watched Emma practically inhale her unusually large helping of French fries, as she glared at the open book on the table in front of her. His enhanced sight allowed him to see that the book was their Algebra II textbook, open to the synthetic division postulates. Her determined concentration mixed with her leftover antipathy from the quiz.

Rosalie's amused chuckle brought him from his ponderings. "You look like you want to eat her." Her golden eyes were severe and questioning when Jasper brought his eyes from the girl.

Jasper ignored her, and pushed his chair back from the table as he stood. "I'm be back shortly," he said to his startled family.

"What is he _thinking_?" he heard Rosalie hiss as he walked away.

"He wants to talk to her. He won't do anything," Edward said, but his tone was worried.

"I trust him. He has everything under control," Bella said confidently.

Emmett chuckled darkly. "That's what you say _now_..."

Wordlessly, Jasper strode over to Emma's table, and took the seat opposite her. Half a fry stuck out of her mouth, forgotten in her shock as she stared at him. He folded his hands on the edge of the table, and looked at her complacently. "_Hello,_" he said pointedly.

"Hey," she said, swallowing. A moment of silence stretched between them. "Er, so... what do you want?"

He put his hand on her textbook, and began pulling it across the table. "I couldn't help but notice –"

Suddenly, Emma's hand slapped on top of his, ceasing his movement. A ripple of shock went through her as she felt the icy temperature of his skin. She stared at him strangely, half-leaned across the table to reach the book. He quickly drew his hand out from under hers, and she slowly pulled the book back to its place. Her shock turned into her usual confusion as she settled back into her seat. "Mind your own business, GT," she mumbled.

Despite the fact that a _human_ had _touched_ him, he couldn't help the smirk that crossed his face. "'GT'?" he repeated, giving her a mocking, quizzical look.

"For 'Gifted and Talented.' You don't abbreviate the word 'and' in acronyms, you know." She gave him a 'no duh' look as she lifted her milk carton to her lips. She finished the pint in two swallows, and opened the second carton of the three she'd purchased.

Jasper chuckled, and leaned back in his chair to watch her. She wiped her mouth on her sleeve when she finished her drink, and crushed the cardboard against the table with the palm of her hand. She began eating her fries again, glancing up at Jasper every other second. "So, _again_... what do you want?"

"I want retribution."

"Retribution for _what_?"

He had thought it was rather obvious, but he patiently explained. "For the quiz...?"

"Oh!" Emma flung a dismissive hand in his direction, but the stab of guilt that Jasper sensed betrayed her casual manner. "That was really cool of you. It won't happen again."

Jasper's eyes tightened. "So you'll just _fail_ the next quiz?"

She shrugged, swiping two fries across the orange ketchup-and-mustard mixture on her plate. "Something along those lines – yeah."

He shook his head unbelievingly. "And you're OK with that?"

She chewed slowly, and thought for a moment. "Sure. Why _not_?" she decided, grinning smugly.

Jasper watched her carefully. "It'll only get worse, you know."

Emma double-took in surprise. "Er, what will?"

"The guilt," he explained, feeling her surprise.

She hadn't thought her strange, blond-haired peer was so perceptive. True to self, "I'm not guilty," she denied.

"Yes, you are."

"No, I'm _not_."

They glared at each other.

"What'ev," Emma said after ten point three seconds. "Like _I_ care..." She opened her third and final serving of milk.

"Yes... you _do_ care," Jasper murmured.

Emma's eyes flashed with annoyance. "Like anyone asked you!" She slammed her pint of milk angrily.

"Why do you like that so much?" Jasper asked suddenly, wanting to change the subject.

Emma smacked her lips when she finished. "'Cuz there's none at home... _long_ story," she said dramatically, piling the remnants of lunch on her tray.

Just on time, the next period bell rang. Jasper stood with Emma, and he followed her as she carried her lunch tray to the nearest trashcan. "I'll see you after last period, then," he said matter-of-factly.

Emma shot him a crazy look. "May I ask _why_?"

He smirked as he turned away. "I'm going to teach you how to ace Collins' next quiz."

*E*

Ron's head snapped up from his mobile version of Pacman when he heard the door chime, and he stuffed his Blackberry into his pocket. "Welcome to... it's Emma! Hey, little Emmy..."

Emma stuck her tongue out at him as she stomped her damp shoes on the rug by the door. "Hey, _Ron_. Where the _heck_ is Eva?"

Eva came out of the office when she heard her sister's voice. "I'm here, Em," she said. "How was school?"

"Weird. _Very_ weird. Jasper Cullen is the weirdest kid _ever_." She marched toward the apartment door without another word and wrenched it open. Her overfilled book bag hit the wooden trim of the doorway as she stormed inside and slammed if behind herself.

"What's wrong with...?" Ron stopped short, seeing Eva's pained expression.

Eva shook her head with sadness, and sighed shortly. "She's just... being Emma."

Ron rubbed the sweaty palms of his hands together. He'd been waiting all day for this. "Er, Eve. Couldn't I talk to you, uh, for a sec?"

Eva stopped halfway to the office, and turned to face the employee. "What's up, Ron?" she asked, stepping closer.

"Well, Eve… I was thinking the other day… and I –" He swallowed when his voice caught in his throat. His nerves flared. "Well..."

Eva noticed his unease, and she wondered what caused it. Her brow furrowed. "Yeah?"

Ron rubbed the back of his neck nervously. "Um..." As he stared at her face, full of questions, he suddenly felt an unprecedented boldness rise up within himself. "I wanted to ask you... do you want to go out with me?" His question was steady and sure.

Eva was startled. She'd never seen Ron in that light before, and she wasn't so sure if she could get used to idea. However, before she could talk herself out of it, she said with a smile, "Sure. This Friday?"

*J*

"Are you insane? You're trying to _distance_ yourself from them, not chat with them over lunch!" Rosalie planted her hands on her hips as she glared at an expressionless Jasper.

"Your concern is unnecessary, Rosalie. My actions will not affect you at -"

"You're right - they won't affect _just_ me. They'll affect all of us!" She gestured around the living room angrily.

Emmett put a comforting arm around his wife's waist. "Rosie, it's not that bad... er, yet."

His words didn't have their desired effect upon Rosalie. She turned her fiery gaze to Edward, who stood wordlessly by. He glanced Jasper before addressing her, "Rosalie, as much as I wouldn't like to admit it..." He hesitated. "I think Jasper's plan is acceptable."

Her eyes grew, and she whipped around to Jasper. "Plan?" she spat. "What _plan_?"

"Rosalie," Esme interrupted, rising from her place on the couch. Her eyes were worried as she looked to each of her children. "This is entirely different than Bella and Edward's situation. Emma is not a part of the problem, and I don't belive Jasper means any harm...?" she trailed off, gesturing to Jasper.

Jasper nodded to her gratefully. "She's not a part of the... problem." His eyes flickered to Edward nervously, and he fell silent to control his thoughts.

Esme smiled as Rosalie scowled. "I'm sure everything will be -" Her head cocked to the side when she heard a car engine on the driveway. "That'll be Carlisle."

Less than two seconds after a car door was closed, the front door opened. Carlisle stepped through, looking at all the severe faces in the living room with surprise. "Has something...?"

Rosalie stomped up to him, and crossed her arms. Her voice was calm, but her expression was not. "We have a situation, Carlisle. _It's_ happening again."

Carlisle looked to the others for an explanation as he shrugged out of his coat. "What's happened?"

"Nothing," Jasper said firmly. "Nothing is wrong."

Carlisle quickly held up a hand to stop Rosalie's angry outburst. "Edward, Jasper - in my office, please."

Rosalie stared daggers as the three left the room. Even though she wasn't invited, Bella followed closely.

Carlisle held the door open for her to pass though. "Bella," he addressed, nodding to her.

"Carlisle, Rosalie has it all wrong," Bella said immediately. "There's nothing bad about what Jasper is doing. He's only trying to help the situation."

Carlisle sat behind his desk after he'd closed the door. Edward, Jasper, and Bella chose to stand before it. "I believe you, Bella. However, you cannot condemn Rosalie for her over-protection of this family."

"Well... of course," she said indignantly, recalling all the trouble she'd caused the Cullens.

"If Jasper stays away from the other sister, then I have full confidence in him," Edward said surely.

"Thank you," Jasper murmured, nodding to them. "We all know how Rosalie tends to overreact."

"Don't be too sure just yet, Jasper," Carlisle said gravely, reaching into his coat pocket. He pulled out a sleek, touch-screen cellphone and held it out for Jasper to take. "Alice sent me a text message this morning."

*E*

"What has you all _blush-y_?" Emma asked harshly, watching Eva close the apartment door behind herself. She sat at the fold-down table, holding her head over a much-filled notebook.

Eva smiled minutely in remembrance, brushing her fingers across her flushed cheek. "The heat, I guess..."

"It ain't hot in here!" Emma exclaimed, turning around in her chair to watch Eva creep away.

Eva shook her head, laughing softly. Suddenly, she froze, having noticed the completely unordinary scene at the table. "Are you doing homework before dinner?"

"Er, well..." Emma realized that she was caught. "It's not really _homework_..." She tried to hide her notebook when Eva walked over.

But it was too late; Eva had already seen. "Who's handwriting was that?" she asked suspiciously.

"Um... uh..." Emma batted her eyelashes. "I won't tell _mine_ until you tell _yours_!"

Eva rolled her eyes at her sister's antics, and took the other seat at the table. Shockingly, it seemed as though things had _already_ returned to normal between them. Liz had been right. "OK, fine. But I'm warning you, Em - you won't believe it."

"_Try_ me," she said intently.

"Ron..." She paused for effect, watching Emma's curious face. "Asked me on a date."

Emma pounded the table with her first, causing it to age ten years before its time. "NO _WAY_!"

"Yes!" Eva laughed, smiling hugely.

"Holy hell... I didn't think he had it in him. After all these friggin' _years_!"

Eva frowned. She didn't even notice how many "colorful" words Emma had used. "What do you mean 'years'?"

Emma gaped at her sister. "What do you mean 'what do you mean?'? He's liked you for _forever_! I remember him asking about you when I was in the _third grade_!" Emma flung a hand in the air, as if if was an obvious, stated law. "Don't tell me you haven't _noticed_."

Eva flushed deeper, and a strange feeling crept up on her unexpectedly. "Er... was it _that_ obvious?"

"_Yes_," Emma stated. "Yes, _that_ obvious."

Eva brushed aside her embarrassment for later, and looked down at the books piled on the table. "_Anyway_... What's all this?"

Emma spotted her sister's classic attempt to change the subject, and she let it slid... this time. She hovered her hands over the "not" homework as if reciting a sacred incantation. "This is Algebra II... in all its stupid glory."

"Someone helped you with homework," Eva guessed, turning through the pages of the fairly standard textbook.

Emma opened her mouth to deny it, but changed her mind at the last minute. "Yeah," she hedged.

Eva's next question was obvious, "Who?"

Emma let out the breath she was holding, and with it, a muttered name.

"Pardon?" her sister prompted.

"OK, OK," she sighed, burying her face in the arms on the table. "_Jasper Cullen,_" she whispered.

Eva's eyebrows rose. "_Jasper_ Cullen? He's the blond one, right?"

"Er, right." Emma narrowed her eyes at her sister. She was taking the information quiet well. "Uh... so... that's cool?"

Eva nodded innocently. "Yes, of course. Just so it's not interfering with any other of your classes...?"

Emma shook her head numbly.

"...then it's fine." Eva smiled at her surprise. If her little sister was studying Algebra with her classmates instead of defacing Irondale buildings and raiding the local grocer's... then everything was as it should be. "Why would there be a problem, Emma? It's not like he's a _bad_ guy, right?"

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><p><strong>Don't be a troll - toss me a roll.<strong>

**And... of course... by 'roll' I mean '_review_.' Because... it rhymed with... *sighs awkwardly* ...yeah, just review please.  
><strong>

**-Scarlet**


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